Class 
Boole 



vtr. 



THE 



LIFE 

AND 

A SELECTION FROM THE LETTERS 

OF THE LATE 

REV. HENRY *VENN, M. A. 

SUCCESSIVELY VICAR OF HUDDERSFIELD, YORKSHIRE, AND 
RECTOR OF YELLING, HUNTINGDONSHIRE, 

\UTHOR OP "THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAN/' See. 



THE MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE 

DRAWN UP 

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN VENN, MA. 

RECTOR OF CLAPHAM, SURREY. 



EDITED BY THE REV. HENRY VENN, B.D. 

PERPETUAL CURATE OF ST. JOHN'S, HOLLOWAY ; 
LATE FELLOW OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, 



SIXTH EDlTlofc, 

4 Of*"* 

mm 

Qf Washing 



LONDON : O 
JOHN HATCHARD AND SON. 



187, PICCADILLY. 
1839. 



25/ sm 



Richard Watts, Printer, Crown Court, Temple Bar. 



CONTENTS. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR , 
p. i — xvii. 



PART I. 

MEMOIR BY THE REV. JOHN VENN. Page 
Account of his ancestors 3 
Anecdotes of his childhood ----- 5 

Remarkable escape from danger _ - - - 8 
School education -------9 

Entrance at College - - - - - -10 

Ordination - - - - - - - -11 

First religious impressions - - - - - 12 

Desire of living to God's glory - - - - - 13 

Strict mode of life - - - - - -15 

Curacies - - - - - - - -16 

Remarkable act of disinterestedness - - - 17 

Change in his religious views - - - 19 
Curacy of Clapham - - - - - -23 

Marriage 24 

Removal to Huddersfield - - - - - ib. 

Effect of his preaching, on a Socinian - - - 26 
Severe family trials ------ 27 

Providential pecuniary supply - - - - 28 

Adoption of Calvinistic views - - - - - 29 

Publication of " The Complete Duty of Man " - - 33 
Instances of its usefulness 35 



JONTENTS. 



Death of Mrs. Venn ----- 
Mode of instructing his children - - 
Removal to Yelling - - - - - 

Visit of the Editor to Huddersfield, in the year 1824 
Mr. Venn's second marriage - 
Intercourse with Young Men at Cambridge - 

CONCLUSION OF THE MEMOIR BY THE EDITOR. 



Testimony of Mr. Simeon - - - - -52 

Account of Mr. Venn's family - - - - 54 

His declining years, and death - - - -55, 56 

List of Mr. Venn's Published Works - - - 57 



PART II. 

CORRESPONDENCE, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, 



Section I. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM HIS FIRST APPOINTMENT TO 
HUDDERSFIELD, TILL HIS REMOVAL FROM IT. 

1759. 

"Letter to Mrs. Venn. — Account of his journey to 

Huddersfield — Elevated state of mind - - 65 
To a Friend. — Employment of a Christian in solitude, 67 
To Mrs. Venn. — Caution against undue affection - - 68 
Letter from Mrs. Venn. — Reply to the last letter- 
Account of her own state of mind - - -70 
Acceptance of Huddersfield - - - - - 72 

To Mrs. Venn. — Prospects of happiness and usefulness 

at Huddersfield - - - - - - 73 

1760. 

To Mrs. Knipe. — Zeal for moral duties in danger of 
supplanting the Gospel — Mr. Burnett — " The 
Complete Duty of Man" - - - - 75 



- 36 

- 37 

- 38 

- 39 

- 49 

- 50 



CONTENTS. 



To Mrs. Knipe. — Uncertain tenure of earthly bless- 
ings — Sin S of the tongue — Mr. Walker of Truro 
—Mr. Adam ------ 78 

Ministerial success - - - - - - -80 

1761. 

To Mrs. Knipe. — Christening of his infant — Sir John 

Barnard: his afflictions and piety— Mr. Thornton, 81 

To Mrs. Knipe — Sufferings come after we have learned 
to obey — Benefit of Means of Grace proportionable 
to our diligence in the use of them - - -83 
1762. 

To Mrs. Knipe. — Death of Mr. Jones, of St. Saviour's, 

Southwark — Newspaper attacks - - - - 86 
Visit to Mr. Conyers at Helmsley 83 



EIGHT PASTORAL LETTERS. 
To Miss Hudson.— Affliction, the lot of God's people — 

difficult to bear it aright - - - - 90 

To Miss Hudson. — Reasons why God afflicts his people, 93 
To Miss Hudson. — Paraphrase of two verses of Ps. xci 
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Increase in Divine knowledge - 99 
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Right way of reading the Bible, 1 1 
To a LaDy. — Several encouraging texts explained - - 102 
To a Young Friend. — Affectionate remonstrance to a 

backslider - - - - - - -104 

To a Friend. — Ministerial visits - - - - 108 

1764, 

To a Lady— Refusing a legacy - - - 1 1 

1766. 

To Miss Wheler. — Journey with Sir C. Hotham— In- 
cautious offer of a pulpit, by a stranger — Mr.Towns- 
hend of Pewsey — Mr. Romaine — Howell Harris 
— Mr. Lee - - - - - --11 2 

* 2 



CONTENTS. 



To a Widow Lady. — The opposition of relations — On 

her conduct towards a worldly-minded son - - 116 
Evil tendency of Hume's Essays - 121 

1767. 

To J. Kershaw, Esq. — On his conversion from Socini- 

anism — Description of the Christian's life - - 122 
Letter from Mrs. Venn, announcing her illness - - 126 

Particulars of her death - - - - - 127 
Two Letters to Mrs. Medhurst. — Death of his wife — 

The Divine supports he receives - - - 129 

To Miss Wheler. — Preaches the day 'after his wife's 

funeral - 132 

To Mrs. Medhurst. — Recollections of his wife — Ruth 

Clarke 133 

1768. 

To Mrs. Medhurst. — Affecting recollections of his wife 

— Pastoral visit to a dying parishioner - - 134 

To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Harewood House — Necessity of 

retirement for a Christian - - - - -136 

Marriage of Miss Hudson to Mr. Riland - - - 138 

1769. 

Extracts. — Journey to London — Olney— Cowper the 

Poet 138 

Ride in the neighbourhood of the scenes of childhood, 140 
Visits to a condemned criminal - - - - 141 
Preaching in London — Mr. Thornton — Fruits of his 

ministry 142, 143 

Letter to J. Kershaw, Esq. — Boldness in reproving sin, 1 44 
Engagement to preach in Lady Huntingdon's Chapel at 

Bath r - - 145 

Journey to Bath - - - - - - -146 

Mr. Clarke of Chesham Boyce — Mr. Talbot — Mr. 

Townshend - 147 



CONTENTS. 

Solitude cherishes faith - - - - 148 

To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Lady Huntingdon — Benefit of a 

Christian example - - - - - -149 

To Mrs. Riland.— -Ministerial Faithfulness — Success of 

prayer not always apparent - - - - 1 5 1 



Section II. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM HIS ACCEPTANCE OF YELL- 
ING, TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS CORRESPON- 



DENCE WITH HIS SON. 
1770. 

Letter to Mrs. Riland. — Appointment to Yelling - - 153 
To Mrs. Riland. — Perplexity about leaving Hudders- 

field - 155 

To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Reasons for leaving Huddersfield, 156 

1771. 

To Mrs. Riland. — Visit to Hull — Mr. Joseph Milner — 

Mr. Jesse— Mr. Adam - - - - 159 

To J.Kershaw, Esq. — Remembrance of his late flock, 161 
Erection of a Dissenting Chapel at Huddersfield - - 162 
Vindication of his attachment to the Established Church, 163 
Preaching in unconsecrated places - - - - 165 

His second marriage ib. 
To Mrs. Smith. — On freedom in Prayer — Rp. Hildesley, 166 
To Mrs. Smith. — Feelings in prospect of his second mar- 
riage - - - - - - --16 8 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Commencement of his 

ministry at Yelling — Change from Huddersfield - 169 
To Mrs. Riland. — Insincere professors of religion — 

Lowered expectation of the success of preaching, 171 
To Mrs. Riland. — First sermons at Yelling - - 173 
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Solitude of Yelling — Style of 

preaching - - -- ~ - - - 174 



CONTENTS. 



To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Opposition useful to a 

preacher — Mr. Berridge - - - - 1 76 

1772. 

To Mrs. Riland. — Improved health - - - - 178 

To Mrs. Riland. — First visit to Cambridge — Family 

prayers - - - - - --179 

To W. Whitacre, Esq. — Walking with God — Against 

doubting the love of God towards us - - - 182 
To the Rev. M. Powley. — Divisions among Christians — 

Students at Cambridge - - - - -134 

1773. 

To Mr. Houghton. — Preciousness of the Sabbath — 

Earnest prayer for his late flock - - - 186 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Benefit of afflictions — 

Essay on the Prophecy of Zacharias - - - 187 

To Miss Wheler. — Transporting views of future glory, 190 
1774. 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Vindication of two pas- 
sages in the Essay — Mr. Robinson of Leicester - 192 
To W. Whitacre, Esq. — Christian privileges - - 195 
Sketch of domestic employments at Yelling - - - 196 
Family connexions - - - - - -197 

Picture of a Christian household - - - - - 198 

To Mr. E. Venn.— On the care of the soul - - 200 
To Mrs. Bishop. — " Running with patience the race set 

before us," - - - - - - 201 

To Mrs. Riland. — Wishes, on their removal to Birming- 
ham - 203 
1775. 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Hotham Rectory — Mr. 

Daw ------- - 205 

Journey to Highworth, in Wiltshire — Students at Ox- 
ford— Mr. Pentycross — Mr. De Coetlogon - - 207 

To Mrs. Riland. — Deaths of Lady Gertrude Hotham — 

Mrs. Nicholson — Sarah Reeves - 208 



CONTENTS. 



To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — On the knowledge of 

our acceptance with God - - - - - 210 

1776. 

To Mrs. Riland. — A providential escape - - - 212 
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Visit to Birmingham — 

Mr. Berridge— True Religion - - - - 214 
To J. Brasier, Esq. — Congratulation on his marriage - 218 



Section III. 

LETTERS WRITTEN TO HIS CHILDREN, AND TO DIFFE- 
RENT FRIENDS, FROM THE YEAR 1777, TO THE 



TIME OF HIS SON'S ORDINATION, 1782. 

To Mr. John Venn. — Journey to Bath — Salisbury — 

Mr. Fletcher ------- 220 

Mr. Fletcher's eminent holiness - - - - - 223 

To Mr. John Venn. — Congratulations and advice on his 

going to College ------ 224 

To Mr. John Venn. — Further advice on the same sub- 
ject 226 

To Mr. Henry Jowett. — Devotional study of the Scrip- 
tures - - - - - - - 231 

1778. 

To Mr. John Venn. — Danger of scenes of intemperance, 234 
To Mr. John Venn. — On teaching children — Professor 

Frank 236 

Anecdote of Dr. Dodd ----- - 238 

To J. Brasier, Esq. — On self-will in children - - - ib. 
To J. Brasier, Esq. — On Infant Baptism - - - 240 
Evil of a cavilling spirit - - - - --242 

To Mr. John Venn. — Joseph Hirst's visit to Yelling - ib. 
To Mr. Houghton. — Evil of controversy - 244 
To Mr. John Venn. — Visit to Cambridge — Mr. Newton's 

visit to Yelling : his sermon - - - - 246 



CONTENTS. 



To Mr. John Venn. — Mr. Robinson appointed to St. 

Mary's, Leicester ------ 248 

1779. 

Reflections on a thunder-storm - - - - 249 

To Mr. John Venn. — On his birth-day — Review of his 

life 251 

To Mr. John Venn. — Approaching examination - -255 
To Mr. John Venn. — Profitable conversation - - 257 



EIGHT LETTERS TO HIS DAUGHTERS, WHEN THEY WERE 
FROM HOME. 

To Miss Venn. — Mr. Barham's family — Advantage of 

intercourse with true Christians - - - - 258 
To Miss Venn. — The advantages of set times for prayer, 260 
To Miss Venn. — Rank and riches not a source of happi- 
ness 261 

To Miss Venn.— On her birth-day — "lam the Lord's," 263 
To Miss Catherine Venn. — A meek spirit — Mrs. 

Barham 266 

To Miss Catherine Venn. — Adorable design of the 

Sabbath — Retrospect of his own early life - - 268 
To Miss Catherine Venn. — On her birth-day - -271 
To Miss Catherine Venn. — The example of Jesus - - 274 



To Mr. Edward Venn. — Religion the basis of social 

duties 276 

1780. 

To Mr. Henry Jowett. — An aged Christian - - - 277 
To Mr. Houghton. — Regard for his late flock — Attack 

of illness ------- 279 

His son's coming of age - - - - - 28 1 

To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — " Coming up from the wil- 
derness, leaning on her Beloved"* — "Everlasting 
Strength'' - - 282 



CONTENTS. 



To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Account of a Lady who 

swallowed a pin — Lady Smythe — Dr. Knowles - 285 
To Mr. Edward Venn. — Intends to revisit Huddersfield, 289 
To Miss Jane Venn. — Revisiting and preaching at 

Huddersfield - - - - - - - 290 

1781. 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Account of his Journey 
to Huddersfield — Mr. Robinson of Leicester — Mr. 
Walker of Rotherham— Elland— Return to Yelling, 293 

To Mr. Houghton. — Affection of his Yorkshire friends, 296 



His son takes his degree - - - - -297 

To Mr. John Venn.— Scholars too often selfish - - 298 
To Mrs. Brasier. — The certainty of the salvation of 

infants 299 

1782. 

To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Our trials of use to others 

—Death of Mrs. Papworth 301 

To J. Brasier, Esq. — Illness of Mr. John Venn - - 306 
To Miss Riland, with a present of hooks — Excellence of 

the Bible ------- 308 



Section IV. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE PERIOD OF HIS SON'S 
ORDINATION, TO THE YEAR 1788. 

Mr. John Venn's hesitation to enter the ministry - - 311 
Letter from Mr. John Venn — stating the reasons of his 

reluctance to enter the ministry - - - - 312 
To Mr. John Venn. — Reply to his son's scruples - - 315 
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Ordination of Mr. J. 

Venn and Mr. Simeon - - - - - 325 
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — "But few are saved" — 

Preaching at St. Neot's — Mr. Berridge - - - - 327 



CONTENTS. 



1783. 

To Mr. Edward Venn. — New-year congratulation — Mr. 

Robinson - - 329 

His son presented to the living of Little Dunham - 332 

Young Men at Cambridge 333 

To the Rev. J. S tillingfleet. — Ingratitude not to dis- 
courage us — Description of different London Mi- 
nisters -------- 334 

To the Rev. J. Venn. — Advice upon his going to Little 

Dunham — Preaching on the Commandments - - 337 
Written and Extempore Sermons - - - - 339 

Mr. Venn's own adoption of extempore preaching - - 341 
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Convictions of sin — A Hymn — 

Visit from Mr. J. Venn 342 

To the Rev. J. Venn. — Ministers not to be discouraged 

by want of success ------ 345 

To Misses J. and C. Venn.— " God is love" - - - 343 
Account of a journey into Shropshire : — Mr. Riland — Mr. 

Fletcher— Mr. Jonathan Scott— Mr. Robinson - - 349 

1784. 

To Lady Smythe. — Description of a weak and strong 

faith -------- 351 

To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Wishes for a happy new year 

— Mr. Simeon — Young men at Cambridge - - 354 
To the Rev. J. Venn. — On assurance — A condemned 

malefactor— Declining health - 356 
To the Rev. J. Venn.— Illness of Mr. John Venn— Mr. 

Adam's death — Small success of Ministers - - 358 
To Miss Jane Venn. — Improvement of temporal bless- 

sings — A thunder-storm — Mr. Scott of Olney - - 361 
To Miss Riland — Letter to a Godchild — Difficulties 

of young Christians — The love of Christ for his 

Church -------- 365 



CONTENTS. 



To the Rev. J. Venn. — Ministers should be pains- 
taking — Daillee on the Colossi ans - - - 368 
To Miss Venn. — A young Christian in sickness and health, 370 

Mr. Maddoek of Creaton 372 

To the Rev. J. Venn. — Behaviour towards Dissenters — 

Daillee on the Colossians - - - - -373 
Danger of neglecting Prayer - - - - 375 

To Miss Jane Venn. — Recollections of Huddersfield 
parsonage— News from Yelling — Remembrance of 
his former flock — God a Father to His people - - 377 

1785. 

To Mrs. Riland. — Recollections of Christmas — the 

cxixth Psalm 381 

To Miss J. C. Venn. — Sermon on his 60 th birth-day: 
" We look not at the things which are seen, &c." — 
Death of Mr. Houghton's daughter - - - 382 
Young Men from Cambridge - - - - -386 

His Visitation Sermon at Huntingdon - - - 387 
To Mrs. Riland. — Cheerfulness under illness - - - 388 
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Mrs. Lefevre's Letters — 

Lady Glenorchy 390 

Mr. Richard Venn's residence at Yelling - - - 392 
To the Rev. M. Powley. — Feels the approach of old age, ib. 
To Mr. Ed ward Venn. — No one ever repented of serving 

Christ -------- 394 

Marriage of Miss Venn with Mr. Elliott - - - 395 
To Miss J. C. Venn. — Review of his own progress in 

Religion — Anticipation of Heaven - - - 396 

1786. 

To Mr. Elliott. — Earthly connections perpetuated above 

— Heaven a scene of activity and usefulness - - 398 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet.— On teaching Religion to 

children— Dr. I. Milner - - - - 400 



CONTENTS. 



To Mrs. Elliott. — A birth-day address — Of the natural 

and glorified body - - - - - 402 

Mr. Venn's preaching in London — Mr. Wilberforce - 405 
To J.Kershaw, Esq. — Recollections of Huddersfield - 406 
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Death of Lady Glenorchy— 

Rest prepared for the afflicted - - - - 408 
Letter from Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Humble views of 

herself — Dr. Conyers - - - - - 410 

To Lady M. Fitzgerald.- — Commendation of the graces 

manifest in our Christian friends - - - 412 
To Mrs. Riland. — The felicity of Heaven - - 415 

To Miss J. C. Venn. — Mr. Johnson, Chaplain of New 

South Wales — Conversion of the Heathen - - 416 
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Adam's Private Thoughts — Se- 
cession from the Church - - - - 41 7 

1787. 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Grace proportioned to 

diligence — Benefit of fasting - - - - 419 

To Mrs. Riland. — Preaching in his kitchen, when con- 
fined by illness - - - - - 421 

To Mr. Elliott. — The way of attaining heavenly-mind- 

edness - -- -- -- - 424 

To Mr. Elliott. — Piety in men of business - - 426 



Section V. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE YEAR 1788, TO THE 
CLOSE OF HIS CORRESPONDENCE. 
1788. 

To the Rev. John Venn. — Importance of preaching on 

Striking Texts— Mr. Berridge - - - - 429 
Choice of Texts - 433 

To Mrs. Elliott. — Prayers for his children — Death of 

Mrs. Kershaw - - - - - - -ib. 



CONTENTS. 



To Mr. Elliott. — On the death of his mother - - 435 
1789. 

To Mr. John Houghton. — Sunday-school at Yelling — 
A sermon of Mr. John Venn — His own declining 
health 437 

To the Rev. John Venn. — Longs to be free from sin — 

Kennicott's Dissertations - - - - - 439 

The King's Recovery - - - - 440 

To Miss Catherine Venn. — God's loving-kindness and 

mercy — Wesley's error about Perfection - - 441 

Marriage of Mr. John Venn ----- 444 

To Mrs. Elliott. — Confinement from Public Ordinances, 

through illness — Mr. Burnett — A family meeting - 445 

To Mrs. King. — Separation of dear relatives - - 447 
1790. 

To Mr. Elliott. — Mr. Simeon 449 

To Mrs. Elliott. — -Declining health of his family - - 450 
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Death of Lady Smythe - 452 
His last Sermon at Surrey Chapel - - - - 454 
To Mrs. John Venn. — Wishes for her prosperous journey 

—Mr. Parry — Mr. Thornton - - - - ib. 
To Mr, Elliott. — Trust in Providence - - - 456 

Death of John Thornton, Esq. 457 

To the Rev. John Venn.— Death of Mr. Thornton - - 458 
Mr. Thornton's Church-patronage - - - - 459 
To Miss J. C. Venn. — Particulars respecting Mr. Thorn- 
ton's death : his munificence - - - - 460 

179L 

To Mrs. John Venn. — On his own illness - - - 46 1 
To the Rev. John Venn. — " Knowing even as we are 

known" — Adam's Works — Mr. Simeon - -463 
To Mrs. Riland.— Mr. Newton — Visit to London and 

Cambridge - - - - - - -465 



CONTEXTS. 



To Mrs. Elliott. — Death of Mr. Richard Venn - - 467 
1792. 

Declining health of Mr. Berridge - - - - 469 
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Excellence of Christian charity - ib. 
To the Rev. John Venn. — The placing of Ministers the 

prerogative of Christ - - - - - 471 
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Usefulness is all, in Christians - 472 
Address sent to a Clerical Society - - - - 473 
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Mrs. Venn's illness - - - 474 
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Death of Mrs. Venn - 475 
Appointment of Mr. John Venn to the Rectory of 

Clapham - 476 

To the Rev. John Venn. — Visit to Buxton — Benefit re- 
ceived — Afflictions of Bishop Lowth — Absence from 

Yelling 477 

To Mrs. Elliott. — Interview with friends at Buxton - 479 
1793. 

To the Rev. J. Venn — to encourage him in the pro- 
spect of his Ministry at Clapham - - - 481 

To the Rev. James and Mrs. Harvey. — Death of Mr. 

Berridge - -- -- -- - 485 

Success of Mr. Evans at Yelling - - - - 487 

To the Rev. J. Venn. — Happy state of mind — Milner's 

Church History - - - - - 488 

To Mrs. Riland. — Concern for his daughter in case of 

his death - - - - - - -489 

To Mr. E. Venn. — Ministrations in Clapham Church - 490 

To Mr. Elliott. — Earnest desire to depart - - - 491 
1794. 

To the Rev. J.Venn. — Afflictions wean us from the world 

— Mr. Hodson of Jamaica - - - - -492 
1795. 

To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Waiting for death — 

Abounding hope and prayer— Soaring to Heaven, 494 



CONTENTS. 



1796. 

To the Rev. John Venn. — Insisting on the fruits of 

faith — Now finds Christ sufficient for him - - 496 



PART III. 

LETTERS ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, TOO LONG FOR 



INSERTION IN THE PRECEDING SECTIONS. 

To Jonathan Scott, Esq. — Directions for leading a 

Christian life - - - - - - 501 

To John Brasier, Esq. — On the same subject - - 513 

To Lady Mary Fitzgerald. — On the doubts and fears 

of upright Christians - - - - - 5 1 9 

To a Clergyman — On the study of the Hebrew — and 
the sufficiency of Translations to convey the know- 
ledge of the Truth 528 

To Lady Mary Fitzgerald. — Cautions against discou- 
ragement from the lives of eminently holy persons, 542 

Humility of Mr. Fletcher 545 

The mistakes into which young Ministers are apt to fall, 551 



ADVERTISEMENT 

TO THE 

SECOND EDITION. 



The sale of the First Edition, within a few months after 
its appearance, has sufficiently justified the Editor in sub- 
mitting this volume to the public. 

The corrections and additions introduced into this 
Edition are very few and unimportant. There are, 
however, two points which seem to require explanation. 

A regret has been expressed, in many quarters, that a 
second volume of the Correspondence has not been 
added, out of the stores which are still in the Editor s 
hands. But it must be remembered, that the range of 
topics in Mr. Venn's Letters is not extensive, and that 
the events of his life were, comparatively, few : so that 
a second volume would consist, for the most part, of the 
repetition of sentiments, arising from circumstances and 
occasions similar to those already recorded. 

It has been suggested, also, that the Memoir should 
have been intermingled with the Letters, instead of 
standing by itself, in the First Part of the Work. The 
Editor, however, adheres to his original plan, from a 
wish to keep the matter, which was prepared by the 
Rev. John Venn, unbroken, and distinct from the rest ; — 

A 



ADVERTISEMENT. 

not only because it was originally intended to stand in 
such a form, but, also, because its value, as a sketch, of 
the progress of Mr. Venn's mind in religious knowledge, 
would be impaired by a different arrangement. 

The Editor, in again committing this Volume to the 
Public, begs to express his gratitude to the Giver of all 
good, for the blessing which has already crowned his 
labours, and to renew his earnest prayers for the conti- 
nuance of the same Divine grace. 



Hollow ay, 

7th Feb. 1835. 



In complying with the demand for a Sixth Edition, the Editor has 
adopted a smaller type and page, in order to reduce the price of the 
Volume. But in every other respect, this edition is a reprint of the 
former ones. 



HOLLOWAY, 

Aug. 1839. 



PREFACE 
BY THE EDITOR. 



The Memoir which composes the First Part of 
the present volume was drawn up by the late 
Rev. John Venn, with the intention of its being 
prefixed to a new edition of his father's works. 
He had also written the following paragraph, 
as the commencement of a Preface. 

" The Compiler of this Memoir deeply feels 
the impropriety of troubling the public with 
the lives of those who have little claim to public 
notice. But he trusts that every person, who 
feels the influence of filial piety, will justify his 
breaking through this rule, when he is told that 
a Life of his honoured and excellent father has 
been already given to the public, full of misre- 
presentations, and calculated to produce a most 
injurious impression respecting his character 
and principles ; and that this Life has been ex- 
tensively circulated, inserted into biographical 
histories, and even prefixed to an edition of his 
principal work, without any public denial or 
indignant refutation. 

a 2 



vi 



PREFACE 



" In the Memoir which follows, which ex- 
hibits the real character of one, by whose 
writings the Church has been edified, and by 
whose example many have been animated, the 
author can truly say, that he has endeavoured 
to free himself entirely from partiality " 

The Memoir, which the preceding fragment 
was intended to introduce, was left in an unfi- 
nished state. It had been commenced by Mr. 
Venn, soon after his father's death ; but, when a 
few of the first pages had been written, it was 
laid aside till his own last illness; so that the 
greater part of it was dictated by him from his 
death-bed. This circumstance will doubtless 
increase the interest with which it will be read; 
and it will also account for any degree of haste 
or abruptness which may be apparent in the 
composition. It has now devolved upon one of 
the third generation to put the finishing hand 
to|the work, and to present it to the public. 

I have presumed to incorporate some addi- 
tional matter with the original Memoir, in order 
to complete the narrative ; distinguishing such 
additions, by including them within angular 
brackets. I have also given a large collection 
of Letters, which will form the domestic annals 
of the greater part of my grandfather's life. 

It may be expected that I should offer some 



BY THE EDITOR. 



vii 



apology, for having thus enlarged my father s 
design, and departed still further than he had 
contemplated from the rule laid down by him 
in the preceding fragment. It is hoped, how- 
ever, not only that the intrinsic excellence of 
the Letters will justify their publication; but, 
also, that they may claim an additional interest, 
as presenting a lively portrait of one of the 
earliest Preachers who obtained the name of 
Evangelical*, and who bore a conspicuous part 
in the revival of religion in this country during 
the latter part of the eighteenth century. 

The following pages exhibit the life and 

* I am aware that there is an apparent impropriety in using 
a term as the exclusive designation of one class, which ought 
to belong to all the professed Preachers of the Gospel of 
Christ. I trust that the exclusive application of the term 
among the Ministers of the Established Church is daily be- 
coming unnecessary and improper. Yet, the most superficial 
knowledge of the state of religion in this country will shew, 
that in the early part of the eighteenth century the tone of 
Christian Doctrine and Practice was lamentably depressed, 
both in the Church and among the Dissenters ; and that about 
the year 1 740 there was a revival of light and energy among 
some of the Ministers of the Church, which was gradually dif- 
fused throughout the land, and has materially raised the tone 
of religious sentiments, even among those who are strangers to 
the power of godliness. It was natural, therefore, that in the 
early days of this revival, when the light and energy of a few 
stood out in bold relief from the surrounding mass, this ex- 
clusive designation should have been generally attributed, 
assumed, or allowed. 



viii 



PREEACE 



labours, the principles, and temper of mind, of 
one who has been universally known as a 
zealous advocate of Evangelical sentiments. 

I will not enter upon any formal description 
of these sentiments ; because I believe that the 
difference between the Clergy usually denomi- 
nated Evangelical, and many of their brethren, 
from whom they are thus distinguished, con- 
sists not so much in their systematic state- 
ment of doctrines, as in the relative importance 
which they assign to the particular parts of the 
Christian System, and in the vital operation of 
Christian Doctrines upon the heart and conduct. 
Under this view, I persuade myself that the 
difference in question will be best understood 
from the perusal of such a Life as I here present 
to the reader. 

The Character before us stands distinguished 
from the devout but inefficient profession of 
orthodox principles which characterized the 
High Church School in which Mr. Venn was 
brought up. All his early prepossessions, and 
the notions which he imbibed from education 
and filial respect, were in favour of that School 
— all his worldly hopes of preferment w r ere con- 
nected with it: for some time he conscienti- 
ously and zealously strove to fulfil his ministry 
upon that scheme; but he failed to acquire 
solid peace and satisfaction in his own mind, or 



BY THE EDITOR. 



ix 



to accomplish any great good in the souls of 
others ; till he had discovered, by diligent study 
of the Bible, those views which were accom- 
panied with such blessed results to himself and 
to thousands of his hearers throughout the rest 
of his life. The accurate description given by 
his son, in the Memoir, of the steps by which he 
was gradually led to those views (pp. 17 — 21) 
appears to me, in this light, most important, 
and worthy of attention. 

On the other hand, the character here deli- 
neated is equally distinguished from that exhi- 
bited by too many, in former and present times, 
who have assumed or acquired the name of 
Evangelical, without any other pretension to 
that name than the adoption of a doctrinal 
Shibboleth. The nature of Evangelical Religion 
is here shewn, in an entire devotion of heart to 
the Lord Jesus Christ — an evident victory over 
the world — abounding love and good-will to- 
wards men, and the other fruits of the Spirit 
manifest in the life and conduct; and is thus 
essentially distinguished from a worldly, self- 
indulgent, lukewarm, and unsubdued temper of 
mind, whether cloked under an Evangelical or 
any other profession of religion. 

Another point, which I think the present 
volume will illustrate, is, the Rise and Diffusion 
of Evangelical Religion in the Established 



X 



PREFACE 



Church during the period over which the suc- 
ceeding Memoir extends. For we are here 
furnished with the case of Mr. Venn, and with 
many incidental notices of the names and 
labours of his early coadjutors among the 
Clergy. And I apprehend it may be shewn, 
that, for the most part, these men derived their 
views of the Truth directly from the Word of 
God; that their labours were chiefly devoted 
to the revival of true religion in the Church ; 
and that those labours were, under God, the 
main cause of the revival which followed. 

I am aware, that a different view of the case 
is often given; and that the labours of Mr. 
Whitfield and the Wesleys are regarded not 
only as the means of the revival of religion 
among persons connected with their societies, 
but also of that which took place among the 
Clergy. A Preface, and more especially a Pre- 
face to a somewhat bulky volume, is not the 
place for entering at large into a question 
which may be controverted; but I may be 
permitted, perhaps, to point out how far the 
present volume seems to support the view of 
this question, which I have ventured to suggest. 

The case of Mr, Venn himself is clearly stated 
in the Memoir, in these words : — " This change 
of his sentiments was not to be ascribed to an 
intercourse with others : it was the steady pro- 



BY THE EDITOR. 



xi 



gress of his mind, in consequence of a faithful 
and diligent application to the Holy Scriptures, 
unbiassed by an attachment to human systems. 
It was not till some years afterwards that he 
became acquainted with any of those preachers 
who are usually known by the name of Evan- 
gelical ; though his own views now agreed with 
theirs, and were strictly, and in a proper sense, 
Evangelical; that is, in conformity with the 
motives and hopes held out to us in the Gospel 
of Christ." C Memoir by Rev. John Venn.) 

Here, let it be observed, is the case of a Mi- 
nister of the Church, engaged in the discharge 
of his office, whose mind is thus led to the full 
and cordial reception of these sentiments, by the 
blessing of God on prayer and the study of the 
Bible. He next discovered, that the Articles 
and Liturgy of the Church fully agreed with the 
more enlightened and elevated tone of his own 
newly-adopted views ; and became more than 
ever attached to her constitution and services, 
and laboured with more abundant zeal and suc- 
cess in the various offices which were assigned 
to him as one of her ministers. In the West 
Riding of Yorkshire he was the means of exci- 
ting the zeal of many active friends of the Church, 
and of bringing several ministers like-minded 
with himself into that neighbourhood, Upon 
his removal to the vicinity of Cambridge, his 



xii 



PREFACE 



influence was exerted with signal effect upon 
many of the students, who came forward, from 
year to year, to consecrate their services to the 
same cause in which he was labouring. — From 
this brief sketch, it is easy to perceive how 
greatly the character and influence of Mr. 
Venn tended to the revival of vital religion 
in the Established Church. 

I shall still further trespass upon the patience 
of my readers, by selecting and placing together 
the names of a few of those fellow-labourers of 
Mr. Venn to whom I have already alluded. 

The earliest of this class was William Grim- 
shaw, B. A., educated at Christ's College, Cam- 
bridge. The change of his sentiments was 
contemporaneous with, if it did not precede, 
that of the Wesleys. And we learn, that, after he 
had been for some time engaged in preaching 
upon these views, "he was an entire stranger 
to the people called Methodists ; whom after- 
wards he thought it his duty to countenance, 
and to labour with, in his neighborhood He 
was an entire stranger, also, to all their writ- 
ings, except a single sermon on Gal. iii. 24 ; 
and 'A Letter to the People of England, 1 
published by the Rev. Mr. Seagrave; in which 
he was surprised to find the divinity, in all 
material points, of the very same kind with 
what he now saw with his own eyes in the 



BY THE EDITOR. 



xiii 



Word of God, and from which all his peace had 
flowed." (See Sketch of the Life of Grim- 
shaw, by the Rev. H. Venn, annexed to his 
Funeral Sermon.) 

The next in chronological order is the well- 
known name of William Romaine, M.A. I am 
not aware that any account has been preserved 
of the precise steps by which his mind was led 
in this respect ; but he was a disciple of the 
Hutchinsonian School ; and retained to the last, 
in common with the members of that school, 
very strict views respecting Ecclesiastical con- 
formity, and the evil of schism. 

The Rev. William Talbot, grandson of a Bishop 
of Durham, and nephew to Lord Chancellor 
Talbot, was another preacher of whom Mr. 
Venn was accustomed to speak, as an early 
and eminent advocate of Evangelical views. 
The last scene of his labours was at St. Giles's, 
Reading; where he died, in 1774, aged 57. 

The short career of usefulness, and the ad- 
mirable writings of the Rev. Samuel Walker of 
Truro, were of very extensive service to the 
cause of real Christianity in his own day ; and 
are still held in honour, by multitudes, at the 
present time. A particular account is given of 
the progress of his mind, in the search of 
religious truth, by the Rev. James Stillingfleet, 
prebendary of Worcester, in a short sketch pre- 



XIV 



PREFACE 



fixed to Mr. Walker s " Sermons on the Church 
Catechism." * 

The Rev. Thomas Adam, rector of Wintring- 
ham, Lincolnshire, was led to the adoption of 
the same views, at a comparatively late period 
of his life, by the independent exercise of 
prayer and the study of the Bible; of which an 
interesting account is given in a Memoir pre- 
fixed to his " Private Thoughts," by the Rev. 
James Stillingfleet of Hotham. Mr. Adam also 
printed, in his life-time, "Lectures on the Church 
Catechism," and other works, which materially 
aided the cause of vital religion in that day. 

The Rev. Richard Conyers was the college- 
contemporary of Mr. Venn : and upon Mr. 
Venn's removal into Yorkshire, their friendship 
was renewed, upon the higher ground of a per- 
fect similarity in their views of the Gospel, and 
the spirit in which they laboured for its ad- 
vancement. Into these views Mr. Conyers had 
been led by the diligent study of the sacred 
text. He was first Vicar of Helmsley, and 
afterwards Rector of St. Paul's, Deptford. 

The six clergymen whom I have now men- 
tioned, together with my grandfather, were all 

* Since the First Edition of this Work, " The Life and 
Remains of the Rev. S. Walker " have been published by the 
Rev. E. Sidney ; and a Life of the Rev. Thomas Adam, by 
the Rev. E. Westoby. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



XV 



led into similar views, within about ten years 
after the time from which Mr. Wesley dates 
the final adoption of his own religious senti- 
ments. I have not included the name of James 
Hervey, of Weston Flavel, which appears in 
this volume with highest admiration ; because 
his mind was directly influenced by intercourse 
with Mr. Charles Wesley. But I think I have 
stated enough to prove, that there was a body 
of Evangelical Labourers, who were indepen- 
dent of the Methodists, and nearly contempora- 
neous with them, and whose labours had an im- 
mediate and remarkable influence upon the 
Clergy of the Church of England. 

After this period, the list might be conside- 
rably augmented, from the pages before us. — 
Amongst the names of early and frequent 
occurrence would be, Jones (of St. Saviour's 
South wark), Burnett (of Elland, one of the early 
friends of Walker of Truro), Powley, the two 
Stillingfleets, Fletcher, Berridge, Maddock, New- 
ton, Joseph Milner, Riland, Robinson, Scott, 
Simeon, &c. &c. 

Some idea of the rapid increase which took 
place in the Numbers of the Evangelical Clergy 
may be formed from the fact, which has been 
recorded, that when Mr. Romaine first began 
his course, he could only reckon up as many as 
six or seven who were like-minded with himself: 



xvi 



PREFACE 



in a few years, the number was increased to 
tens; and before he died (IT 9 5), there were 
above five hundred whom he regarded as fellow- 
labourers with himself in word and doctrine. 
At what rate the increase has proceeded since 
that time, I will not take upon myself to say ; 
but, assuredly, it has been such as to fill the 
heart of every intelligent observer with praise 
and gratitude to God. 

The conclusion to which I think we are led, 
by a review of the whole case, is this ; — That 
when it pleased God, in a day of extreme dark- 
ness, to " cast His bright beams of light upon the 
Church" — according to the beautiful Prayer of 
our Liturgy — He kindled in the minds of many 
ministers of the Church, in various places and 
under various circumstances, a revival of genu- 
ine and primitive Christianity. By their efforts, 
and by the large measure of success vouchsafed 
to them, and by the continual accesion of fresh 
Labourers — who, no less than the first promoters 
of the revival, had received their views of the 
Truth, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, 
from the independent study of the Word of God, 
and prayer — the work was carried on to the 
glorious extent to which it has reached at the 
present day. The Methodists and the Evan- 
gelical Clergy were the chief instruments em- 



BY THE EDITOR. 



xvii 



ployed in this work ; and these two bodies of 
Labourers had a mutual and important influence 
upon each other *. But, as far as we can trace 
the operation of human agency, it seems to me, 
that the effects of the labours of the Wesley s, 
and their immediate coadjutors, were chiefly 
manifest in the extension of Methodism ; as the 
effects of the labours of the Evangelical Clergy 
were in the improved tone of religion in the 
Established Church ; — that there were, thus, two 
kindred, but separate and independent, streams 
of light, penetrating the gloom which brooded 
over the Christian community. That w T hich 
flowed in the channel of Methodism burst forth, 
indeed, in a more resplendent and sudden blaze : 
the other proceeded by a more gradual and 
quiet, but progressive, course. 

H. Venn. 

Drypool, May 29, 1834. 

* Having reason to fear that this statement has been mis- 
apprehended, I take advantage of a new edition, to disclaim 
the idea, that I attribute the revival of which I speak exclu- 
sively to the labours of the two religious bodies mentioned 
above. I fully allow, that the work was promoted, both directly 
and indirectly, by many whose names stand deservedly high 
in the veneration of the Established Church, who were never 
classed with the Evangelical Clergy ; as well as by many 
excellent men amongst the Dissenters. 



PART I. 



MEMOIR. 



DRAWN UP BY THE LATE REV. JOHN VENN, 

AND COMPLETED BY THE EDITOR. 



MEMOIR 



Henry Venn was born at Barnes in Surrey, on the 
2d of March 1724, 

*[His ancestors were clergymen of the Church of 
England, in an uninterrupted line, from the period of 
the Reformation. The first, of whom any particular 
information has been preserved, was William Venn, 
B.A., Vicar of Otterton, Devonshire, who died in the 
year 1621. He had two sons, who afterwards became 
beneficed clergymen, and were sufferers, during the 
time of the Commonwealth, for their attachment to the 
King and the established form of worship ; namely, 
Richard Venn, M. A. (the ancestor of Henry Venn), 
who was presented, in 1625, to the vicarage his father 
had held; and Robert Venn, M.A., Vicar of Thel- 
bridge, Devonshire. Some account of the persecutions 
these ministers endured is given in Walker's " Suffer- 
ings of the Clergy." Mr. Walker states, respecting 
Richard Venn, that " he was dispossessed of his living 
by the Parliamentary Commissioners. — The accusa- 
tions brought against him, before the Committee, con- 
sisted chiefly of matters which had passed some years 
before, relating to his loyalty, and disaffection to the 

* The parts included between angular brackets, through- 
out this Memoir, have been added by the Editor. — See the 
Preface. 

B 2 



4 



mr. Venn's ancestors. 



Parliament. — The witnesses who appeared ag-ainst him 
could not but give an attestation to his worth and 
honesty, and more particularly to his diligence in the 
discharge of his ministerial function. — After wander- 
ing from place to place, to avoid persecution, he lived 
to repossess his vicarage, after the Restoration. — He 
was a man ?)f worth and learning, a good Christian 
and a good preacher, well beloved in his parish, and 
spoken of with honour amongst them to this very day/* 
— Richard Venn had a numerous family of children ; 
one of whom was Dennis Venn, M. A., Vicar of Hol- 
beton, Devonshire, who died in 1695, leaving an infant 
son, Richard, who was the father of Henry Venn. 
This son was brought up under the vigilant superin- 
tendence of his mother. Under such tuition, amiable 
manners and sweetness of disposition might be ex- 
pected, rather than firmness and resolution r these 
latter qualities were, however, cultivated by Mrs* 
Venn, with no small success, in the education of her 
son, and were striking features of his character in 
after-life. In illustration of this remark, it is recorded, 
that being asked when she intended to send her son 
to college, she replied, " When I have taught him 
to say * No/ boldly." He completed his education at 
Sidney College, Cambridge ; where he sustained the 
character of a diligent student, an able scholar, and a 
person of strict morals and piety. He became Rector 
of St. Antholin's, London, and was also possessed of 
some sinecure preferment. He was distinguished as 
an exemplary and learned minister, very zealous for 
the interests of the Church of England, which he con- 
ceived to be the grand support of Christianity in this 
nation. He was also remarkable for gTeat liberality 
towards the poor, and especially towards distressed 



ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. 



5 



clergymen. He enjoyed the friendship and society of 
Bishops Gibson and Hare, Doctors Berriman, Steb- 
bing, and other learned divines of that day. In the 
year 1734 5 he was brought into public notice, and 
incurred obloquy from certain quarters, in conse- 
quence of the determined opposition he made, in con- 
junction with Bishop Gibson, to the promotion of Dr. 
Rundle to the bishopric of Gloucester; Dr. Bundle 
having used expressions, in his hearing, which he 
conceived to be of a deistical tendency.* Mr. Richard 
Venn married the daughter of Richard Ashton, esq., 
Paymaster of the Pensions to King Charles II., and 
Privy Purse to James II. This gentleman was 
apprehended in 1690, in an attempt to pass over to 
France, in a small boat, with Lord Preston and Mr. 
Elliott; and a packet of papers being found upon 
him, which contained intelligence for the deposed 
king, he was tried and executed on the charge of high- 
treason. 

Mr. Venn died in 1739, aged 48, leaving three 
sons — Dr. Edward Venn, of St. J ohn's College, Cam- 
bridge, who settled as a physician at Ipswich; Richard, 
and Henry ; and one daughter, Mary, who married 
Mr. W. J. Gambier, of London. After his death, a 
volume of his works was published by his widow, 
containing several of his sermons, and a few papers 
which had appeared in a periodical work.] 

Henry Venn discovered^ from a child, such activity 
and energy of mind, such decision and zeal in what- 
ever he undertook, that all who observed him ex- 
pected he would one day become an extraordinary 

* See Letters of Dr. Handle, Lord Bishop of Derry, with 
Introductory Memoirs, by James Dallaway. M.A. 



6 



ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. 



character. A few anecdotes of his boyish years will 
serve to illustrate this. 

Whilst he was yet a child, Sir Robert Walpole 
attempted to introduce more extensively the system 
of the Excise. A violent opposition was excited, and 
the popular cry ran strongly against this measure. 
Our young politician caught the alarm, and could 
not sleep in his bed, lest the Excise Bill should pass ; 
and, on the day on which it was to be submitted to 
Parliament, his zeal led him to leave his father's 
house early, and to wander through the streets, crying 
"No Excise!" till the evening; when he returned 
home, exhausted with fatigue, and with his voice 
totally lost by his patriotic exertions. 

A gentleman, who was reported to be an Arian, 
called one day upon his father. The child (for such 
he then was) came into the room, and, with a grave 
countenance, earnestly surveyed him. The gentleman, 
observing the notice which the child took of him, 
began to shew him some civil attentions, but found 
all his friendly overtures sternly rejected. At length, 
upon his more earnestly soliciting him to come to 
him, the boy indignantly replied, "I will not come 
near you ; for you are an Arian." 

As he adopted, with all his heart, the opinions 
which he imbibed, he early entertained a most vehe- 
ment dislike of all Dissenters. It happened that a 
dissenting minister's son, two or three years older than 
himself, lived in the same street, in London, with his 
father ; and young Henry, in his zeal for the Church, 
made no scruple to attack and fight this seceder from 
it, whenever he met him. It was a curious circum- 
stance, that, many years afterwards, he became ac- 
quainted with this very individual, who was then a 



ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. 



7 



dissenting minister; and who confessed to him how 
much he had been the terror of his life ; and acknow- 
ledged, that he never durst leave his father's door 
till he had carefully looked on every side, to see that 
this young champion of the Church was not in the 
street. 

It could scarcely be expected that such vehemence 
of mind would be restrained within due bounds : it 
accordingly increased into an inordinate ambition, 
attended, as is usually the case, with the fever of 
impatient jealousy. A singular instance of this was 
exhibited upon his hearing a gentleman very highly 
commend some of the Latin Exercises of his elder 
brother. His passions were so agitated by this com- 
mendation, that, though he suppressed them so far as 
to conceal his jealousy, his exertion to do so actually 
threw him into a convulsion-fit, to the great alarm 
of the family. 

I mention these incidents merely to shew the strong 
feelings, and decision of character, which he inherited 
from nature. He possessed powers which could not 
but be active ; but how these powers should be de- 
termined, whether to good or evil, whether to the 
benefit or the injury of society, remained yet a ques- 
tion. Great energy of character is a dangerous qua- 
lity : it is a power which must do much good or 
much evil. Hence, Dr. Gloucester Ridley, after 
attentively observing his character, when young, said, 
" This boy will go up Holborn, and either stop at 
Ely-place (the then palace of the Bishop of Ely), or 
go on to Tyburn/ 3 Happily, his energy was exerted 
in a right direction ! 

Let it not, however, be supposed that energy was 
the only prominent feature of his boyhood. His gene- 



8 



REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM DANGER. 



rous kindness and affection were equally conspicuous ; 
and he had a natural frankness and vivacity of man- 
ner, which won upon all who knew him; so that he 
was soon the favourite, not only of his parents, but 
of his brothers, of the servants, and of the whole 
neighbourhood. 

In his early years he experienced several remark- 
able escapes from danger; one of which, on account 
of its singularity, deserves to be recorded. 

There was a small court between St. Antholin's 
church and that part of the rectory-house in which 
his father's study was situated. This had been roofed 
and tiled over ; and here he used to £lay, when he 
was able to say his lessons, till his father was at leisure 
to hear him. One day, being perfect in his lesson, 
he, as usual, asked leave to play, but was refused. 
As this leave had rarely before been denied, and his 
father did not appear to be at leisure to hear him, 
he concluded that his request had been misunderstood, 
and again asked permission to play, but was imme- 
diately and peremptorily refused. Soon after, his 
mother came into the room ; and seeing him looking 
out of the window, while his father appeared deeply 
engaged in writing, she asked, of her own accord, 
whether he might not be allowed to play : but her 
request was also refused. She thought this extraordi- 
nary ; but her surprise was changed into astonishment 
and gratitude, when, a few minutes after, the whole 
roof fell in ; and would have crushed her child to 
death, had he been playing there, as was requested. 
His father acknowledged that he had no particular 
reason, at the moment, for denying the wonted per- 
mission ; but, having once refused, thought it proper 
to persist in the refusal. 



SCHOOL EDUCATION. 



9 



It may be here said : ' You produce a miracle, in 
order to exalt your hero into a saint." — I by no means 
do this. I do not argue in behalf of any man's excel- 
lence from such providential interferences in his favour. 
I believe that remarkable instances of preservation 
from peril, such as can only be ascribed to the parti- 
cular interposition of Divine agency, are experienced 
by all persons, and by the bad as well as the good. 
The inference which I draw from these facts is this — 
That they are intended to demonstrate, not the par- 
ticular favour which God bears to an individual, but 
His general mercy and care over all his creatures : 
they are designed as sensible and striking manifesta- 
tions, rendered necessary by the grossness and dulness 
of our faculties, of the presence and continual agency 
of our Creator : they serve to set the presence of God 
more immediately before us. Nor are such interpo- 
sitions, I believe, unfrequent. Every person can pro- 
bably recollect several, in his own case ; and he has 
had opportunities of observing the same in the case 
of others. The world, which studiously excludes from 
view the supreme cause, attributes them to accident ; 
but the Scripture, which removes the veil, and explains 
the agency of the Almighty, after describing several 
such instances of preservation in the 107th Psalm, 
adds this conclusion : "Whoso is wise, and will ob- 
serve these things, even they shall understand the 
loving-kindness of the Lord/ 5 

In the year 1737, being twelve years old, he was 
sent to school at Mortlake, a neighbouring village to 
Barnes, at which he remained two years. From this 
school he was removed to the care of Mr. Crofts, of 
Fulham ; where he had not been long, before his 
father died (Feb. 16, 1739), and he was deprived of 



10 



ENTRANCE AT COLLEGE. 



the benefits which he would have derived from the 
care and superintendence of a pious, affectionate, and 
learned parent. 

He continued at Mr. Crofts' several months after 
his father's death ; and his quitting this situation was 
at his own request — a request which indicated an 
energy of mind, and a right turn of thinking, uncom- 
mon in a boy of fourteen. He told his mother, that, 
though he was treated with the highest degree of 
tenderness at Mr. Crofts'', yet the very indulgence 
which was shewn to him and the rest of the boys was 
an impediment to their improvement. He requested 
her, therefore, to send him to a school where the dis- 
cipline was more strict, and where the chief stress was 
laid upon improvement in learning : for he consi- 
dered even severity to be preferable, on this account, 
to too much indulgence. 

Such a school was found, at the Rev. Mr. Catcott's, 
of Bristol, author of a Treatise on the Deluge, and 
other Tracts. He was a man of remarkable strict- 
ness, and even sternness of discipline, imposing large 
tasks upon his pupils, and very sparing in his com- 
mendations : I however always heard my father speak 
of him with the highest respect. He gained his mas- 
ter's good opinion, by great diligence, and by a steady 
desire of improvement ; so that he never once suffered 
correction from him, or incurred his displeasure. 

I know not what occasioned his removal from 
Mr. Catcott's, where he continued about a year ; but, 
in 1741, he was placed at the Rev. Dr. Pitman's 
Academy, Market-street, Hertfordshire, where he 
finished his school education. 

In June 1742, being seventeen years of age, he 
was admitted of St. John's College, Cambridge, where 



ORDINATION. 



II 



his elder brother had already resided some years. 
But, having obtained a Rustat Scholarship in Jesus 
College, he removed in September to that society, of 
which he continued a member for seven years. 

Going to college with the advantage of an acquaint- 
ance already established with several respectable mem- 
bers of the University, who had been intimate friends 
of his father, and having also a brother who had been 
resident there upwards of five years, he was soon sur- 
rounded by a numerous circle of friends. These he 
increased by qualities which made his company much 
sought after ; namely, a never-failing fund of high 
spirits, a natural hilarity and gaiety of manner, an 
engaging sweetness of temper, and a memory stored 
with anecdotes, which he related in a manner pecu- 
liarly interesting. Besides this, he captivated all 
whose good opinion he wished to gain, by a delicate 
attention, arising from a happy mixture of benevo- 
lence, modesty, and respect : there were therefore, 
perhaps, very few men in the University who were 
so generally esteemed and beloved. He was, however, 
very select in the choice of his society, never keeping 
company either with profligate men or with persons 
of mean talents. The rule he laid down was, to be 
acquainted only with those from whom he could gain 
improvement. 

In the year 1745 he took the degree of B.A. In 
1747 he was appointed, by Dr. Battie (who had been 
a ward of his father's), to one of the University 
Scholarships, which he had just founded, and the no- 
mination to which he reserved to himself during his 
own life ; and in June, the same year, he was ordained 
Deacon, by Bishop Gibson, in the chapel of Fulham 
Palace, without a title, from the respect which the 



12 



FIRST RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS. 



Bishop bore to his father's memory. In 1749 he 
became M. A. ; previous to which he had been elected 
Fellow of Queen's College, chiefly through the recom- 
mendation of Mr. Owen Manning, the Tutor of Queen's, 
who had formed an intimate friendship with him. He 
would have been chosen Fellow of his own College, 
had there been a vacancy during the time he was 
capable of holding that station. He continued Fellow 
of Queen's till his marriage, in 1757. 

It was about the time of his entering into Holy 
Orders that his first religious impressions commenced : 
and as the life of a retired and pious clergyman, 
distinguished neither by rank nor preferment, nor by 
interesting incidents, can be useful only by tracing 
accurately his religious progress, it is to this part of 
his history that I shall now chiefly direct my attention. 

Hitherto, religion had made no particular impres- 
sion on his mind. He was moral and decent in his 
conduct, regular in his attendance on public worship, 
and had accustomed himself chiefly to read books of 
Divinity, after he had taken his degree of B. A. ; but 
he was a stranger to that influence of religion which 
gives it a predominancy in the mind over every thing 
besides, and to those views of the benefits and excel- 
lence of the Christian dispensation which render the 
Saviour the object of the highest affection and regard. 
He possessed, however, high ideas of clerical decorum, 
and scrupulous conscientiousness in doing faithfully 
whatever he was convinced to be right : and so highly 
did he rate a strict regard to conscience, in acting up 
to the light received, that he often used to say, in his 
own forcible way of expressing himself, that he owed 
the salvation of his soul to the resolute self-denial 
which he exercised, in following the dictates .of con- 



DESIRE OF LIVING TO GOD'S GLORY. 13 

science in a point which of itself seemed one only of 
small importance. 

The case was this: — He was extremely fond of 
cricket, and reckoned one of the best players in the 
University. In the week before he was ordained, he 
played in a match between Surrey and All England ; 
the match had excited considerable interest, and was 
attended by a very numerous body of spectators. 
When the game terminated, in favour of the side on 
which he played, he threw down his bat, saying*, 
" Whoever wants a bat, which has done me good 
service, may take that ; as I have no further occasion 
for it." His friends inquiring the reason, he replied, 
" Because I am to be ordained on Sunday ; and I 
will never have it said of me, * Well struck, Parson 1 3 " 
— and to this resolution, notwithstanding the remon- 
strances of his friends, and even of the Tutor and 
Fellows of his college, he strictly adhered : nay, 
though his health suffered by a sudden transition from 
a course of most violent exercise to a life of com- 
parative inactivity, he could never be persuaded to 
play any more. Thus, being faithful in a little, more 
grace was imparted to him. 

The first considerable religious impression made 
upon his mind arose from an expression in the Form 
of Prayer, which he had been daily accustomed to use, 
like the world in general, without paying much atten- 
tion to it — "That I may live to the glory of Thy 
name ! " The thought powerfully struck his mind : 
— " What is it, to live to the glory of God ? Do I 
live as I pray ? What course of life ought I to pur- 
sue, to glorify God ? " After much reflection on this 
subject, he came to this conclusion — That to live to 
the glory of God required that he should live a life of 



14 DESIRE OF LIVING TO GOD 5 S GLORY. 

piety and religion, in a degree in which he was con- 
scious he had not yet lived;— that he ought to be 
more strict in prayer, more diligent in reading the 
Scripture and pious books, and more generally holy 
in his conduct: — and, seeing the reasonableness of 
such a course of life, his uprightness again discovered 
itself in immediately and steadily pursuing it. He 
set apart stated seasons for meditation and prayer, 
turning his reading chiefly into a religious channel, 
and kept a strict account of the manner in which he 
spent his time and regulated his conduct. I have 
heard him say, that it was his custom at this period to 
walk almost every evening in the cloisters of Trinity 
College, during the time that the great bell of St. 
Mary's was tolling at nine o'clock ; and, amidst the 
solemn tones and pauses of the bell, and the stillness 
and darkness of the night, he would indulge in im- 
pressive and awful reflections, on Death and Judgment, 
Heaven and Hell. 

[In a letter, written late in life to one of his child- 
ren, he alluded, in the following beautiful manner, to 
this early stage of his religious progress : — 

"(Yelling, Sept. 2, 1785.) — How do I feel more than re- 
quited for all the pains I have taken, and the prayers I have 
offered, when I read your earnest desires that you may glorify 
God! Supernatural is that desire: it is the bud and the 
blossom, which bring forth all the fruit the Church of God 
bears. Well I remember, when, in the midst of great dark- 
ness respecting the Person, the work, and office of my adored 
Redeemer — in the midst of utter ignorance of the Law and 
my own total corruption — I felt this desire, strong and 
urgent, from day to day : and it hath never departed from 
me, and never will ! This supreme desire to glorify God is 
like a friendly clue in a labyrinth, which guides us out of all 



STRICT MODE OF LIFE. 



15 



perplexities, and excites an earnest cry, which, in time, brings 
us to the enjoyment of our God and Saviour, gives us in- 
creasing views of His excellency and glory, and ripens us for 
the vast assembly of perfect spirits, who are swallowed up in 
love and adoration of God, and are perfectly one with each 
other."] 

In this frame of mind, Law's " Serious Call to a 
Devout and Holy Life/' a book which has been the 
means of exciting many to a life of holiness, was par- 
ticularly useful to him : he read it repeatedly, with 
peculiar interest and advantage ; and immediately be- 
gan, with great sincerity, to frame his life according 
to the Christian model there delineated. He kept a 
diary of the state of his mind ; a practice from which 
he derived great benefit, though not exactly in the way 
he expected : for it chiefly made him better acquainted 
with his own deficiency. He also allotted the hours 
of the day, as far as was consistent with the necessary 
duties and employments of his station, to particular 
acts of meditation and devotion. He kept frequent 
fasts ; and was accustomed often to take solitary 
walks, in which his soul was engaged in prayer and 
communion with God. I have heard him mention, 
that, in one of these retired walks, in the meadows 
behind Jesus College, he had such a view of the good- 
ness, mercy, and glory of God, as elevated his soul 
above the world, and made him aspire towards God, 
as his supreme good, with unutterable ardour and 
enjoyment. 

So great a change in his taste could not but produce 
a great alteration in his general mode of life. The 
sprightly Harry Venn, who was always in company, 
and himself the gayest of the circle, was now seldom 
to be met with in mixed parties, He was indeed so 



16 



CURACIES. 



entirely engrossed by the thing's which are spiritual 
and eternal, that, when he found none of his compa- 
nions inclined to converse with him t)n these subjects, 
he gradually withdrew from their company, and con- 
fined himself only to the ordinary intercourses of 
society. One person only, of all his former numerous 
friends, appeared willing to listen to his conversation 
on religious subjects. 

For about six months after he was elected Fellow 
of Queen's, he served the curacy of Barton, near Cam- 
bridge; where he distributed Religious Tracts, and 
conversed with the poor in a manner that several of 
them affectionately remembered after an interval of 
above thirty years. He afterwards assisted different 
friends, by officiating for them, at Wadenhoe in North- 
amptonshire, Sible Hedingham in Essex, and other 
places ; where, besides the regular duty on the Sun- 
day, he used to instruct the people at his own house, 
in the week. In July 1750, he ceased to reside in 
college, and began to devote himself entirely to mini- 
sterial services ; accepting the curacy of Mr. Langley, 
who held the livings of St. Matthew, Friday-street, in 
London, and West Horsley, near Guildford, in Surrey. 
My father's duty was, to serve the church in London, 
during part of the summer, and to reside the remainder 
of the year at Horsley ; and in this employment he 
continued four years. 

At Horsley he instructed many of the poor, during 
the week, at his own house. His family prayer was 
often attended by thirty or forty of his poorer neigh- 
bours. The number of communicants was increased, 
while he was curate, from twelve to sixty. His 
activity and zeal, however, offended some of the neigh- 
bouring clergy, who took no pains in their parishes, 



REMARKABLE ACT OF DISINTERESTEDNESS. 17 

and occasioned them to stigmatize him as an enthu- 
siast and a methodist ; though, in truth, he had no 
knowledge whatever, at that time, of the persons 
usually distinguished by the latter name. Once, at 
a meeting of some clergymen, his character being 
thus rudely treated, he met with a singular defender 
in an old fox-hunting clergyman: — "Hush!" said 
he ; "I feel a great respect for such men as Mr. 
Venn, and wish there were more of the kind ! They 
are the salt of our order, and keep it from putrefaction. 
If the whole body of the clergy were like ourselves, 
the world would see that we were of no use, and 
take away our tithes ; but a few of these pious ones 
redeem our credit, and save for us our livings." 

While he continued curate of Horsley, he had an 
opportunity of shewing a very remarkable instance 
of disinterestedness. Sir John Evelyn was patron of 
the living of Wotton, in that neighbourhood ; a living 
then worth between 200/. and 300/. a year. He was 
a gentleman very anxious to keep up the due know- 
ledge and worship of God in his parish, and used to 
maintain the most friendly intercourse with the clergy- 
man of that and the neighbouring parish (to which he 
also presented) ; being accustomed to drink tea with 
them, alternately, on a stated day in the week. It 
was an object, therefore, of importance to him to have 
at Wotton a clergyman of exemplary character, and 
a man of knowledge and learning. As soon as the 
living was vacant, the Squire of Horsley, unknown 
to my father, applied earnestly in his favour, for the 
living, to Sir John; assuring him, that he was the 
very kind of clergyman who would suit his views ; and 
Sir John himself seemed already disposed to accede 
to his wishes. The only reason which made him hesi- 
c 



18 



WRITINGS OF MR. W. LAW. 



tate, was the dilapidated state of the parsonage, which, 
he thought, would require a person of some private 
fortune to put and keep in proper repair. My father 
having learnt these circumstances, while the patron's 
mind was still wavering, turned the scale against him- 
self. Having long been acquainted with Mr. Bryan 
Broughton, Secretary to the Society for Promoting 
Christian Knowledge, and having a high respect for 
his virtues, he considered him as exactly the kind of 
man who would suit Sir John ; and, judging that he 
stood more in need of the preferment than himself, 
he wrote an anonymous letter to Sir John, giving a 
full and faithful account of his friend's character, and 
recommending him to the living : and Sir J ohn, after 
making inquiry into Mr. Broughton's character, pre- 
sented him ; nor had he ever reason to repent of fol- 
lowing the advice of his anonymous correspondent. 

Whilst he lived in this retirement, his books and his 
devotions afforded him a fund of never-ceasing plea- 
sure. He was accustomed to ride upon the fine downs 
in that neighbourhood, and to chant to himself the Te 
Deum ; and in this devotional exercise he used to be 
carried far above terrestrial objects. His plan of life 
was very methodical; realizing, as far as he was able, 
that laid down by Mr. Law, in his " Christian Perfec- 
tion.*' Mr. Law was, indeed, now his favourite au- 
thor; and, from attachment to him, he was in great 
danger of imbibing the tenets of the mystical writers, 
whose sentiments Mr. Law had adopted, in the latter 
periods of his life. Many writings of this class dis- 
cover, indeed, such traces of genuine and deep piety, 
that it is not at all wonderful that a person of exalted 
devotional feelings should admire them. 

From a too fond attachment, however, to Mr. Law's 



CHANGE IN MR. VENN'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 1 9 

tenets, he was recalled by the writings of Mr. Law 
himself. When Mr. Law's " Spirit of Love," or "Spirit 
of Prayer," (I am not sure which) was about to be 
published, no miser, waiting for the account of a rich 
inheritance devolving on him, was ever more eager 
than he was to receive a book from which he expected 
to derive so much knowledge and improvement. The 
bookseller had been importuned to send him the first 
copy published. At length, the long-desired work 
was received, one evening 1 ; and he set himself to 
peruse it with the utmost avidity. He read till he 
came to a passage wherein Mr. Law seemed to repre- 
sent the blood of Christ as of no more avail, in pro- 
curing our salvation, than the excellence of his moral 
character. " What ! " he exclaimed, " does Mr. Law 
thus degrade the death of Christ, which the Apostles 
represent as a sacrifice for sins, and to which they 
ascribe the highest efficacy in procuring our salvation ! 
Then, farewell such a guide ! Henceforth I will call 
no man master ! " From that moment he laid aside 
his overweening esteem for human productions, and 
applied himself chiefly to the study of the sacred 
writers. 

His preaching was, however, still of the strictest 
kind. He required (according to the ideas which he 
had imbibed from the mystical writers) a measure 
almost of perfection in man ; and exalted the standard 
of holiness to a degree to which it was scarcely possi- 
ble that the frail children of men could ever reach. 

It is true, he was himself striving, with the utmost 
assiduity, to reach that point. He kept a diary, in 
which he endeavoured to record the very slightest 
alienation of thought from the love or fear of God — 
every rising of irregular desires and passions — every 
c 2 



20 



CHANGE IN MR. VENN S 



thought which seemed to be contrary to the spirit of 
our Holy Religion. This he deeply lamented before 
God, and, with fervent prayer, requested that every 
thought of his heart might be brought into captivity 
to the Law of Christ. , 

Still, however, as must be the case where a man 
cannot attain the object he has proposed to himself, he 
was not happy : he did not overcome sin in the de- 
gree in which he had hoped ; and, as he was conscious 
of no deficiency of endeavour on his part, he began 
to feel religion to be a hard service, rather than one 
which was perfect freedom : he deeply felt for the 
rest of the world, who neither did, nor, generally 
speaking, could, make such exertions as himself: and 
the question often forcibly occurred to him in the pul- 
pit, " Why do you impose upon others a standard, to 
which you are conscious you have not yourself at- 
tained?" 

Such reflections induced him to study the Scrip- 
tures more attentively : and then he began to perceive 
that his attachment to mystical writers had hitherto 
led him to overlook the particular provision which is 
made for fallen and sinful man in the Gospel of our 
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He now 
saw that it was not upon the perfection of our obedi- 
ence, but upon the all-sufficient merits and the infinite 
mercies of a Redeemer, that we are to rely for our 
justification. He saw that sinners are brought, through 
the Gospel, into a new state — a state of reconciliation 
to our Heavenly Father — a state of adoption into His 
family — a state of grace and mercy. Hence the reli- 
gion of Christ now became to him a religion of hope, 
and peace, and joy : he saw that our sins are taken 
away by the blood of Christ, and that, being justified 



RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 



21 



by faith in Him, we have peace towards God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the hope of the 
glory of God, and joy also in God, by whom we have 
received the atonement. He beheld with wonder the 
infinite tenderness, compassion, and love of the Saviour; 
upon whose care and providence he now relied, to 
sanctify him by His Spirit, and to make him meet for 
the kingdom of glory above. The desire of his heart 
had been already towards holiness ; but it was with 
a view to render himself acceptable to a holy God by 
his own excellence. He now felt the same desire : 
but it sprang from a different motive: it was an 
earnest wish to shew forth the praises of Him who had 
called him out of darkness into His marvellous light. 
He did not conceive himself, any more than formerly, 
at liberty to sin against God ; but that which before 
had been a servile fear was changed into a spirit of 
filial attachment to his Heavenly Father. Love to 
God, and to the greatest of all benefactors, his blessed 
Saviour and Redeemer, now became the ruling prin- 
ciple of all his devotion and all his conduct ; and he 
entered fully into the meaning of the Apostle, when 
he exclaimed, " God forbid that I should glory, save 
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ! " " I count 
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord; — that I may win Christ, 
and be found in Him ; not having my own righteous- 
ness, which is of the Law, — but the righteousness 
which is of God, by faith." 

This essential change in his views produced an im- 
portant change in his feelings and in his preaching. 
He now enjoyed a peace and cheerfulness of mind, 
which he had not done before ; which he could not 
do whilst he looked chiefly to himself and his own 



22 CHANGE IN MR. VENN'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 

qualifications for heaven. His preaching*, also, set 
forth a new object, and took a new direction. He 
now more fully explained to his hearers "the un- 
searchable riches of Christ " ; he set before them the 
love of God, in making* " Him, who knew no sin, to 
be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in Him." He entreated them, in the name 
of Christ, to be reconciled to God ; assuring the peni- 
tent of a gracious reception, and urging him to flee 
to the hope set before him — to that Great Deliverer, 
who would supply all things needful for him ; who 
would impart to him the sanctifying influences of the 
Spirit; who would bless him with His grace here,, 
and conduct him to glory hereafter. The effect of his 
preaching became now much more manifest. The 
view of so great a salvation, offered so freely to 
mankind, filled the hearts of many with fervent love 
to their Saviour, and with earnest desire to be num- 
bered among His disciples. From that time his 
preaching became highly useful to many, who gladly 
devoted themselves to the service of a Saviour, by 
whom they expected the burden of their sins to be 
removed, and from whom they hoped to derive grace 
to help in time of need, comfort in the hour of afflic- 
tion, peace in the midst of an evil and turbulent world,, 
support in the season of death, and a holy preparation 
for the life to come. 

It is observable, that this change of his sentiments 
was not to be ascribed to an intercourse with others : 
it was the steady progress of his mind, in consequence 
of a faithful and diligent application to the Holy Scrip- 
tures, unbiassed by an attachment to human systems. 
It was not till some years afterwards that he became 
acquainted with any of those preachers who are usually 



CURACY OF CLAPKAM. 



23 



known by the name of Evangelical ; though his own 
views now agreed with theirs, and were strictly, and 
in a proper sense, Evangelical ; that is, in conformity 
with the motives and hopes held out to us in the Go- 
spel of Christ. 

In 1754, he accepted the curacy of Clapham, in 
Surrey, where he resided five years; officiating at the 
same time, during the week, in three different churches 
in London, where he held Lectureships. [His re- 
gular duties consisted of a full Service at Clapham 
on the Sunday morning; a sermon in the afternoon 
at St. Alban's, Wood-street ; and in the evening at St. 
Swithin's, London-stone. On Tuesday morning, a 
sermon at St. Swithin's ; on Wednesday morning, at 
seven o'clock, at St. Antholin's; and on Thursday 
evening at Clapham.] At Clapham he became inti- 
mately acquainted with the late John Thornton, esq., 
of that place, who was then a young man of deep 
piety, and whose views of Divine Truth soon became 
congenial with his own. Between them was formed a 
friendship of the strictest kind, which continued till 
Mr. Thornton's death. Here also he became intimate 
with Sir John Barnard *, who was spending the latter 
days of his life in that village ; and of whom he pub- 
lished some interesting Memoirs. Here he first began 
to experience, from those who disliked the restraints 
of religion, and from those who wished to be satisfied 
with a merely formal profession, that opposition which 
every preacher of vital Christianity must expect. On 
the other hand, however, he met with many persons to 

* Sir J. Barnard represented the City of London, in seven 
successive Parliaments ; and was also Lord Mayor in the 
year 1737. 



24 



MARRIAGE. 



whom his preaching was highly acceptable and useful. 

In 1756, he laboured under a severe illness, which 
incapacitated him for duty, for more than eight 
months. This, however, was a most useful season to 
him. He had time to reflect upon his principles and 
his conduct; and he used to observe, that after that 
period he was no longer able to preach the sermons 
which he had previously composed. His views of 
eternal things had now become clearer — his medita- 
tions on the attributes of God more profound — his 
views of the greatness of the salvation of Christ more 
distinct; and the whole of his religion had received 
that tincture of more elevated devotion which ren- 
dered his conversation and his preaching doubly in- 
structive. 

In May 1757, he married Miss Bishop, daughter of 
the Rev. Thomas Bishop, D. D., minister of the Tower 
Church in Ipswich, a gentleman of high eminence as 
a scholar and a divine, who preached the sermons in 
St. Paul's, for Lady Moyer's Lecture, in 1724-25, 
which were afterwards published, together with some 
other valuable Theological Treatises. In this lady, 
Mr. Venn found a mind congenial with his own, — 
the most sincere and exalted piety, directed by a sound 
judgment, and enriched by a sweetness of disposition 
and animation, which rendered her particularly inter- 
esting, as a companion and a friend. 

In 1759, he accepted the vicarage of Huddersfield, 
in Yorkshire, the grand scene of his labours in the 
Church. He was induced to accept this living, not 
from any desire of increasing his income ; for, in fact, 
his income was diminished by it materially ; the 
living of Huddersfield not amounting to 100Z. per 
annum, and the collection of the income (consisting 



REMOVAL TO HUDDERSFIELD. 25 

chiefly of the smallest sums) being made in a way the 
most disagTeeable to his feelings. But he conceived 
that he should be far more extensively useful in a 
parish, the population of which consisted of many 
thousand souls, than in that of Clapham, where he 
had not experienced the success of his labours in the 
degree that he had hoped. 

As soon as he began to preach at Huddersfield, the 
church became crowded, to such an extent, that many 
were not able to procure admission. Numbers became 
deeply impressed with concern about their immortal 
souls; persons flocked from the distant hamlets, in- 
quiring what they must do to be saved. He found 
them, in general, utterly ignorant of their state by 
nature, and of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 
His bowels yearned over his flock ; and he was never 
satisfied with his labours among them, though they 
were continued to a degree ruinous to his health. On 
the Sunday, he would often address the congregation 
from the desk, briefly explaining and enforcing the 
Psalms and the Lessons. He would frequently begin 
the Service with a solemn and most impressive ad- 
dress, exhorting them to consider themselves as in the 
presence of the Great God of Heaven, whose eye was 
in a particular manner upon them, whilst they drew 
nigh to Him, in His own house. His whole soul was 
engaged in preaching ; and, as at this time he only 
used short notes in the pulpit, ample room was left to 
indulge the feelings of compassion, of tenderness, and 
of love, with which his heart overflowed towards his 
people. In the week, he statedly visited the different 
hamlets in his extensive parish ; and, collecting some 
of the inhabitants at a private house, he addressed 
them with a kindness and earnestness which moved 



# 

26 EFFECT OF HIS PREACHING ON A SOCINIAN. 

every heart. Opposition, however, followed him here : 
for, what integrity of mind, what excellence of conduct, 
what purity of zeal, can shield a man from it, when 
our Blessed Lord, immaculate as He was, and His 
Apostles endued with His Spirit, were not exempted 
from it? He was assailed with the old and slan- 
derous insinuation, that he preached the doctrine of 
Faith alone, and neglected to enforce works ; though 
his whole life was a practical confutation of such a 
falsehood; and the lives of those who received the 
doctrines he preached became so strict and exemplary, 
that they were immediately accused of carrying holi- 
ness to an unnecessary length. 

An instance occurs to me here of the effect and suc- 
cess of his preaching, which deserves to be recorded. 
A club, chiefly composed of Socinians, in a neighbour- 
ing market-town, having heard much censure and 
ridicule bestowed upon his preaching, sent two of their 
body, whom they considered the ablest to detect ab- 
surdity, and the most witty to expose it, to hear this 
strange preacher, and to furnish matter of merriment 
for the next meeting. They accordingly went ; but 
could not but be struck, when they entered the church 
to see the multitude that was assembled together, to 
observe the devotion of their behaviour, and to witness 
their anxiety to attend the worship of God. When 
Mr. Venn ascended the reading-desk, he addressed his 
flock, as usual, with a solemnity and dignity which 
shewed him to be deeply interested in the work in 
which he was engaged : the earnestness of his preach- 
ing, and the solemn appeals he made to conscience, 
deeply impressed them ; so that one of them observed, 
as they left the church, " Surely God is in this place ! 
there is no matter for laughter here ! " This gentleman 



SEVERE FAMILY TRIALS. 



27 



immediately called upon Mr. Venn, told him who he 
was, and the purpose for which he had come, and 
earnestly begged his forgiveness and his prayers. 
He requested Mr. Venn to visit him without delay, 
and left the Socinian congregation; and from that 
time, to the hour of his death, became one of Mr. 
Venn's most faithful and affectionate friends*. 

The deep impression made by his preaching, upon 
all ranks of people, was indeed very striking. A gen- 
tleman, highly respectable for his character, talents, 
and piety — the late William Hey, esq., of Leeds, who 
frequently went to Huddersfield, to hear him preach 
— assured me, that once returning home with an in- 
timate friend, they neither of them opened their lips 
to each other till they came within a mile of Leeds, a 
distance of about fifteen miles ; so deeply were they 
impressed by the very important truths which they had 
heard from the pulpit, and the very impressive man- 
ner in which they had been delivered. 

But, whilst he was thus listened to by the most 
crowded auditories, and blest with an unusual degree 
of success in his ministry, he was himself suffering 
under the sharpest trials. He had expected, when he 
came into Yorkshire, that the cheapness of the country 
would counterbalance the diminution of his income : 
he found, however, the case to be otherwise : the ho- 
spitality which it was necessary for him to maintain, 
and the number of visitors who flocked to him, even 
from distant parts of the country, rendered his expenses 

* This gentleman was James Kershaw, esq. of Halifax. 
A letter written to him by Mr. Venn, soon after the circum- 
stances here recorded, and alluding to them, is given in the 
series of Correspondence, under the date April 2, 1767. 

[Editor. 



28 PROVIDENTIAL PECUNIARY SUPPLY. 

very great. He had a wife and an increasing- family ; 
and was separated from his former connexions and 
friends, by whose interest he might have obtained an 
accession to his income. But what could he do? 
To return back to London, was to abandon a flock, 
over which God seemed, in His providence, to have 
placed him ; where his labours were blessed with un- 
usual success ; and where the name of his Lord and 
Master now began to be generally honoured, and His 
word obeyed. On the other hand, all the difficulties 
of embarrassed circumstances, from which he saw no 
way of deliverance, presented themselves to him. In 
this state, the faith of his excellent wife was of great 
use to him. She had, at first, been very averse to his 
accepting his present situation ; but when she now 
saw the vast extent of the field in which he was to 
labour, and the uncommon success with which he was 
blessed, she told him that he was in the path of duty, 
which he must not, on any account, desert. She ex- 
horted him to throw himself upon the care and provi- 
dence of that God who will never forsake His servants 
who faithfully call upon him. — The event answered 
her expectations : he was at length enabled to live in 
continual reliance upon the care of Providence, and, 
from various sources, unexpected at the time, his wants 
were remarkably supplied. 

I will here mention a striking instance of the won- 
derful manner in which God will sometimes supply 
the wants of his servants, when they duly trust in 
Him; though the occurrence did not take place till 
several years after the date of which I am now speak- 
ing. At a period of very pressing difficulty, when a 
tradesman was importunate for the payment of his 
bill, he had no resource left, but, with earnest sup- 



mr. Venn's adoption of Calvinism. 



29 



plication, to make his wants known unto God ; and, 
whilst he was upon his knees, a letter was brought, 
inclosing a bank-note of 50/., with an anonymous ad- 
dress, saying, " Having received great benefit from 
your ' Complete Duty of Man/ I beg you to accept 
this small acknowledgment." — He never could dis- 
cover to whom he was indebted for this seasonable 
benefaction. 

During the severe trials with which he was exer- 
cised, a change took place in his sentiments respecting 
some particular points in Divinity. He had hitherto 
been a zealous Arminian, hostile to the principles of 
Calvinism, which he thought equally repugnant to 
reason and to Scripture; but the experience he now 
had of the corruption of his nature, of the frailty and 
weakness of man, of the insufficiency even of his best 
endeavours, led him gradually to ascribe more to the 
grace of God, and less to the power and free-will of 
man. 

Xo one had taken more pains than he to subdue 
entirely every principle of corruption in his mind ; 
but he now found such a want of faith and confidence 
in God — such a distrust of His providence — such a 
disposition to murmur against Him — such an inade- 
quate view of spiritual blessings and religious privi- 
leges — such ingratitude to that Saviour who was 
making him an instrument of the greatest good to his 
fellow-creatures — that he became more deeply hum- 
bled than he had ever been before. He now saw, in 
a stronger light than ever, the truth of those words, 
" The heart is deceitful above all things, and despe- 
rately wicked 33 ; and felt more sensibly, that, if he was 
saved at all, it must be by the mere grace of God, 
since he had done nothing, and could do nothing, to 



30 



MR. VENN S ADOPTION OF 



merit so great a salvation. He now, therefore, be^an 
to place less confidence in man and in all human en- 
deavours, and to exalt more that grace of Christ, 
which worketh in us effectually, and which quickeneth 
us according to His sovereign will. 

Thus he was prepared to receive the fundamental 
doctrines of that system which is called Calvinistic, 
from a practical sense of his own unworthiness, and 
from the necessity which he found of relying wholly 
upon the infinite mercy and the free grace of God in 
Christ Jesus. 

This change of sentiment gave a tincture to his 
preaching ; leading him to exalt, in higher strains, the 
grace and love of God in Christ Jesus, and to speak 
less of the power and excellence of man. But his 
Calvinism stopped here. It was not the result of a 
theory embraced by reading books of that class ; he 
did not attempt to reconcile the difficulties which are 
found in that system ; he did not enforce, as neces- 
sary, upon the conscience of others, those particular 
views which he had himself imbibed ; he did not 
break the bond of brotherly love and union with 
those of his friends who were still zealous Arminians ; 
and, above all, it did not lead him to relax in his 
views of the necessity or the nature of holiness. On 
the contrary, he urged the practice of it most effec- 
tually, from what he conceived to be stronger and 
purer motives. 

With respect to others, he candidly left every person 
to determine for himself what system he should adopt ; 
well convinced, that if a man entertained a supreme 
love to God, and a stedfast faith in Jesus Christ, he 
would be a very good Christian, whether he leaned to 
the views of Calvin or Arminius. He dreaded young 



CALVINISM. 



31 



men hastily adopting Calvinistic views : and, when 
once asked, respecting a young minister, about whom 
he had been much interested, whether he was a Cal- 
vinist or an Arminian, he replied, "I really do not 
know: he is a sincere disciple of the Lord Jesus 
Christ ; and that is of infinitely more importance than 
his being a disciple of Calvin or Arminius." 

[The following extracts from letters written to his 
friends, at different periods of his life, will serve to 
confirm the remarks already made : — 

"Let those who fear the tendency of the doctrines of grace 
sift and canvass the conduct of those who live by them, and 
then say what ground there is to fear licentiousness. I daiiy 
see that the Inspired Writers are never afraid of affirming 
that the salvation of real believers is secured : all their aim 
and labour is, to shew that none are believers, none are 
Christ's, but they that have crucified the flesh with the 
affections and lusts thereof. For my own part, I profess I 
could not look upon salvation as nigh to me, but suspended 
on so many precarious things, as greatly damped my hope, 
and prevented my joy in the Lord, till I saw that by two im- 
mutable things — the Word and the Oath of God — He had 
provided strong consolation for them that have fled for refuge 
to the hope set before them. Nevertheless, I could wish 
almost that the change in my sentiments were never named : 
for I hate opinions, and would not give a pin's point to have 
any one believe as I do, till the Scriptures, by the Spirit's 
teaching, open his understanding." — {7th April, 1763.) 

*' As to Calvinism, you know I am moderate. Those who 
exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as all their salvation, and abase 
man, I rejoice in ; and would not have them advance farther, 
till they see more of the plan of sovereign grace, so connected 



32 mr. venn's adoption of Calvinism. 

with what is indisputable, that they cannot refuse their assent. 
Difficulties, distressing difficulties, are on every side, whether 
we receive that scheme or no : we must be as little children 
— we must be daily exercising ourselves in humble love and 
prayer — we must be looking up to our Saviour for the Holy 
Ghost. And, after this has been our employment for many 
years, we shall find how much truth there is in that divine 
assertion, 4 If any man think that he knoweth any thing yet 
as he ought to know, that man knoweth nothing.' I used to 
please myself with the imagination, fifteen years since, that 
by prayer for the Holy Ghost, and reading diligently the 
Lively Oracles, I should be able to understand all Scripture 
and give it all one clear and consistent meaning. That it is 
perfectly consistent, I am very sure ; but it is not so to any 
mortal's apprehension here. We are so proud, that we must 
have something to humble us ; and this is one means to 
that end."— (15th Feb. 1772.) 

" Though the doctrines of grace are clear to me, I am still 
no friend to high Calvinism. A false, libertine Calvinism 
stops up every avenue : sin, the Law, holiness, experience, 
are all nothing. Predestination cancels the necessity of any 
change, and dispenses at once with all duty." 

"What difficulties surround us! what rocks on each hand! 
Were not our Pilot infallible, it were impossible to steer 
through the narrow pass which lies between Antinomian 
abuse of the doctrines of grace, and self-righteous renuncia- 
tion of the blood of the Cross." 

" O Prince of Peace, heal our divisions ! diffuse thy patient, 
loving Spirit ! give discernment to distinguish aright between 
what is essential and what is not, and to bear with each other's 
differences, till the perfect day discovers all things in their 
true proportions ! "] 



THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAN. 33 

In the year 1763, my father published " The Com- 
plete Duty of Man/ 5 This work had been undertaken 
before he left London, and was nearly finished soon 
after his arrival at Huddersfield ; but the increasing 
engagements of that situation delayed its publication 
till this period. Of this work, above twenty editions 
have been sold : it has proved highly useful to many. 
Several remarkable instances of the good which it has 
produced, fell, in a very unexpected manner, under the 
author's own observation. A year or two after its 
publication, travelling in the West of England, he ob- 
served, while sitting at the window of an inn, the 
waiter endeavouring to assist a man who was driving 
some pigs on the road, while the rest of the servants 
amused themselves only with the difficulties which the 
man experienced from their frowardness. This bene- 
volent trait in the waiter's character induced Mr. Venn 
to call him in, and to express to him the pleasure 
which he felt in seeing him perform this act of kind- 
ness. After shewing him how pleasing to the Almighty 
every instance of good-will to our fellow- creatures 
was, he expatiated upon the love of God, in sending 
His Son, from the purest benevolence, to save mankind. 
He exhorted him to seek for that salvation which God, 
in His infinite mercy, had given as the most inesti- 
mable gift to man. He promised to send him a book, 
which he had himself published ; and taking down the 
direction of the waiter, who was very anxious to give 
it, he sent him, upon his return to London, a copy 
of " t The Complete Duty of Man." Many years after 
this, a friend, travelling to see him, brought him a 
letter from this very person, who then kept a large inn, 
in the West of England ; having married his former 
master's daughter. His friend told him, that coming 

D 



34 



THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAN : 



to that inn on Saturday night, and proposing to stay 
there till Monday, he had inquired of the servants 
whether any of them went on a Sunday to a place of 
worship. To his surprise, he found that they were 
all required to go, at least one part of the day ; and 
that the master, with his wife and family, never failed 
to attend public worship ; that they had family prayers, 
at which all the servants, who were not particularly 
engaged, were required to be present. Surprised by 
this uncommon appearance of religion, in a situation 
where he little expected to find it, he inquired of the 
landlord by what means he possessed such a sense of 
the importance of religion. He was told, that it was 
owing to a work which a gentleman had sent to him 
several years ago, after speaking to him, in a manner 
which deeply interested him, of the goodness of God, 
in giving His Son to die for our sins. On desiring to 
see the book, he found it to be " The Complete Duty 
of Man." Rejoiced to find that his guest was going 
to pay a visit to Mr. Venn, he immediately wrote a 
letter to him, expressing, in the fulness of his heart, 
the obligations which he owed him, and the happiness 
which himself, his wife, and many of his children 
and domestics, enjoyed daily, in consequence of that 
conversation which Mr. Venn had had with him, 
and the book which he had sent him, which he had 
read again and again, with increasing comfort and 
advantage. 

Another instance occurred at Helvoetsluys, whilst 
he was waiting for a fair wind to convey the packet 
to England. Walking upon the sea-shore, he saw a 
person who,, from his dress and manner, he supposed 
to be an Englishman, and addressed him therefore, 
in English, as such. The gentleman informed him 



ITS USEFULNESS. 



35 



that he was a Swede, though he had lived many years 
in England, and was well acquainted with the lan- 
guage and manners of that country. This circum- 
stance induced him to enter into conversation with 
him. The subject of religion was soon introduced ; 
when, to my father's great pleasure, he found that his 
companion was a decidedly religious character. The 
stranger invited Mr. Venn to sup with him ; and then, 
after much interesting conversation, took out of his 
portmanteau a book, to which he said he owed all his 
impressions of religion ; and, presenting it to him, 
asked if he had ever seen it. This was his own work ; 
— and it cost Mr. Venn no little effort to suppress 
those emotions of vanity which would have induced 
him at once to discover that he was himself the author 
of it. 

When he was once in London, he received a note 

from the Countess of , who, though a stranger to 

him, requested to see him. When he waited on her 
ladyship, she informed him that her husband, who 
had lately died abroad, had put that work into her 
hands, and with his dying breath requested her care- 
fully to read it ; adding, that for the last six months it 
had been his constant companion, and that he owed to 
it that blessed hope, which then cheered him, of an 
admission, through the merits and atonement of Christ, 
into the kingdom of heaven. He requested her also, 
upon her return to England, to see the author, and 
express his obligations to him. 

These were incidental and extraordinary instances 
of the good which Mr. Venn's work had been the 
means of effecting. It would be needless to recite all 
the instances of the benefits obtained from its perusal, 
which fell continually under his own observation. 
d 2 



36 



DEATH OF HIS WIFE. 



Prom Scotland, Ireland, and America, as well as in 
England, he received numerous testimonies to its 
usefulness. 

In 1767, he was visited with the severest domestic 
calamity — the loss of his affectionate wife ; whose pru- 
dence had guided him, whose zeal had animated him, 
whose sound judgment had directed him, and whose 
kindness and affection had been his great stay and 
support, amidst all the trials with which he had been 
surrounded. A heavier trial than this could not have 
been laid upon him; and nothing supported him 
under it, but that perfect confidence in God, and that 
blessed hope of immortality, which it was his great 
employment to make known to others. 

He was now left with the sole charge of five young 
children; and immediately began to discharge as- 
siduously the duties which he owed to them, and 
to supply, if possible, the place of the most prudent 
and affectionate of mothers. The writer of this Me- 
moir remembers, and ever will remember, while me- 
mory shall last, the affectionate and judicious man- 
ner in which he endeavoured to turn the minds of 
his children to the contemplation of the highest sub- 
jects. 

During a thunder-storm, when his children ex- 
pressed some alarm at the loudness of the thunder and 
the vividness of the lightning, he took them up with 
him to a window, where they could observe most 
distinctly the progress of the storm. He then expa- 
tiated to them upon the power of that God, whose will 
the thunder and the lightning obeyed. He assured 
them, that the lightning could injure no one, unless 
with the express permission of that God who directed 
it. He taught them to fear His power, and adore 



MODE OF INSTRUCTING HIS CHILDREN. 37 

His Majesty; and finished his address to them, by 
kneeling down and solemnly adoring that God, whose 
perfections they had seen so signally displayed. 

At another time, he informed them that in the 
evening he would take them to one of the most inter- 
esting sights in the world. They were anxious to 
know what it was ; but he deferred gratifying their 
curiosity, till he had brought them to the scene itself. 
He led them to a miserable hovel, whose ruinous 
walls and broken windows bespoke an extreme degree 
of poverty and want. " Now," said he, " my dear 
children, can any one, that lives in such a wretched 
habitation as this, be happy ? Yet this is not all : a 
poor man lies upon a miserable straw bed within it, 
dying of disease, at the age of only nineteen, con- 
sumed with constant fever, and afflicted with nine 
painful ulcers." — " How wretched a situation ! " they 
all exclaimed. He then led them into the cottage, 
and, addressing the poor dying young man, said, 
" Abraham Mid wood, I have brought my children 
here, to shew them that it is possible to be happy in 
a state of disease and poverty and want ; and now, 
tell them if it is not so." The L dying youth, with a 
sweet smile of benevolence and piety, immediately 
replied, " Oh yes, Sir ! I would not change my state 
with that of the richest person upon earth, who was 
destitute of those views which I possess. Blessed be 
God ! I have a good hope, through Christ, of being 
admitted into those blessed regions where Lazarus 
now dwells, having long forgotten all his sorrows 
and miseries. Sir, this is nothing to bear, whilst the 
presence of God cheers my soul, and whilst I can have 
access to Him, by constant prayer, through faith in 
Jesus. Indeed, Sir, I am truly happy; and I trust 



38 ACCEPTS THE RECTORY OF YELLING. 

to be happy and blessed through eternity ; and I 
every hour thank God, who has brought me from a 
state of darkness into His marvellous light, and has 
given me to enjoy the unsearchable riches of His 
grace." 

The impression made by this discourse upon his 
young hearers will never be effaced. Other instances, 
of the like improvement of the various events of life, 
may be seen in his " Complete Duty of Man/' in his 
admirable chapter upon the Education of Children. 

In the year 1771, having accepted the rectory of 
Yelling, in Huntingdonshire, which was offered to 
him by his friend, the Lord Chief Baron Smythe, who 
was then one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal, 
he finally quitted Huddersfield. It was not for the 
sake of greater emolument that he took this step ; for 
the income of Yelling was, at that time, little superior 
to that of Huddersfield ; but it was solely on account 
of the declining state of his health ; which was so ex- 
hausted by his continual labours, that he required a 
long and absolute cessation from all exertion. He 
had a cough and spitting of blood, besides other sym- 
ptoms of an approaching consumption. He was only 
able, in general, to preach once in a fortnight ; and 
the exertion rendered him incapable of rising from 
his couch for several days after. He was deeply 
wounded in his feelings at leaving a flock, amongst 
whom he had laboured with so much success. The 
last two or three months of his residence were pecu- 
liarly affecting. At an early hour the church was 
crowded when he preached, so that vast numbers were 
compelled to go away. Many came from a consi- 
derable distance, to take leave of him, and to express 
how much they owed to him for benefits received 



editor's visit to huddersfield, in 1824. 39 

tinder his ministry, of which he had not been aware. 
Mothers held up their children, saying, " There is the 
man who has been our most faithful minister and our 
best friend ! " The whole parish was deeply moved; 
and when he preached his Farewell Sermon, neither 
could he himself speak without the strongest emotions, 
nor the congregation hear him without marks of the 
deepest interest and affection. Nor did the impression 
soon wear away : twenty years afterwards, a stranger, 
passing through that place, and inquiring about their 
former pastor, heard blessings showered down upon 
him and his family, with deeply-affected hearts, whilst 
they deplored their own loss. 

[In the year 1824, the Editor of this volume visited 
Huddersfield, with the view of ascertaining how far 
the recollection of Mr. Venn's labours had survived 
the lapse of fifty years. The result of his inquiries 
will be seen in the following particulars, which were 
written down at the time, and which preserve, for the 
most part, the very words in which the information 
was given. 

Through the previous inquiries and kind assistance 
of Benjamin Hudson, esq., surgeon, at Huddersfiejd, 
I saw all the old people, then living in that town and 
neighbourhood, who had received their first religious 
impressions under Mr. Venn's ministry, and still main- 
tained a religious character. They were all in the 
middle or lower ranks of life : none of a superior class 
had survived. What I am about to record must, 
therefore, be received as the genuine and unstudied 
testimony of persons of plain unpolished sense. 

Mr. William Brook, of Longwood, gave me the, 
following account of the first sermon he heard at 
Huddersfield Church: — "There was a meeting, every 



40 editor's visit to huddersfield, 

Saturday night, of the most pious people, at Thomas 
Hanson's, sometimes near twenty, who sang and 
prayed together. I was first led to go to Huddersfield 
Church, by listening, with an uncle of mine, W. Mellor, 
at the door of the house in which" this meeting was 
held : we thought there must be something uncom- 
mon, to make people so earnest My uncle was about 
nineteen ; I was sixteen : so we went together to the 
church, one Thursday evening. There was a great 
crowd within the church — all silent — many weeping. 
The text was, ' Thou art weighed in the balances, and 
art found wanting/ W. Mellor was deeply attentive : 
and when we came out of church, we did not say a 
word to each other till we got some way into the 
fields. Then W. Mellor stopped, leaned his back 
against a wall, and burst into tears, saying, 8 1 can't 
stand this V His convictions of sin were from that 
time most powerful ; and he became' quite a changed 
character — a most exemplary person, as you will hear 
from all the old people, even if they did not like his 
religion : — he died some years after. I was not so 
much affected at that time; but I could not, after 
that sermon, be easy in sin ; and I began to pray 
regularly ; and so, by degrees, I was brought to know 
myself, and seek salvation in earnest. The people 
used to go from Longwood, in droves, to Hudders- 
field Church, three miles off : scores of them came out 
of church together, whose ways home were in this 
direction : and they used to stop at the Firs' End, 
about a mile off, and talk over, for some time, what 
they had heard, before they separated, to go to their 
homes. Oh ! that place has been to me 6 like a little 
heaven below !' 

" I never heard a minister like him. He was most 



IN THE YEAR IS 24. 



41 



powerful in unfolding- the terrors of the Law : when 
doing* so, he had a stern look, that would make you 
tremble : then he would turn off to the offers of 
gTace, and begin to smile, and go on entreating till his 
eyes filled with tears/ 5 

The next person I saw was George Crow, aged 
eighty-two, of Lockwood, a hamlet about a mile from 
the town. When I asked him whether he ever 
thought of old times, he answered, " Ah ! yes ; and 
shall do to the last. I thought, when Mr. Venn went, 
I should be like Rachel, for the rest of my days, weep- 
ing and refusing to be comforted. I was abidingly 
impressed the first time I heard him, at an early period 
of his ministry. He was such a preacher as I never 
heard before nor since : he struck upon the passions 
like no other man. Nobody could help being affected : 
the most wicked and ill-conditioned men went to hear 
him, and were deeply impressed*, even though they 
were not converted. I could have heard him preach 
all night through/' 

I visited this aged person at night, and sat with 
him, over the fire, without a candle : he kindled with 
animation as he spake of these things ; and his 
deeply-rugged features, with brilliant eyes, seen by 
the occasional blaze from the hearth, presented a 
picture such as I never can forget. He was an intel- 
ligent man, and, even at that advanced age, his 
faculties were lively and perfect. He said further : 
" There were many used to go from Lockwood every 

* The expression actually used, conveyed a striking though 
homely illustration : 44 They fell, like slaked lime, in a 
moment." When water is thrown upon hard lumps of lime, 
Their nature is at once changed, and they fall into a soft powder. 



42 editor's visit to huddersfield, 

Sunday and Thursday : we had a meeting- of the 
most pious at William ScholefiehFs, about twenty of 
us, where a subject given out one time was discussed 
the next : one of us was the leader, and opened with 
prayer : afterwards, he asked all round their opinions, 
and then concluded with prayer. It is kept up to this 
day, though now but a few of us. The Meeting at 
Longwood had more than ours. There was another 
at Berrybrow ; and one, a kind of general one, at the 
town. 

" I was one of those who went to Mr. Venn with 
a large body of people, just before he left Hudders- 
field, to persuade him to stay. There were more than 
two rooms could hold. Mr. Stillingneet and Mr. 
Riland were present : many talked strongly to him, 
and told him it was his duty to stay, and such like. 
I and my brother went to him afterwards, alone ; 
and he said, if the rest had spoken to him as mildly 
and affectionately as we did, he should have found it 
more difficult to withstand. After Mr. Venn left, the 
people were all squandered* away from the church : 
so some of us determined to begin a subscription 
for a chapel. I was one of the three first who put 
their names down. I had only 5/., and I gave that ; 
and I query whether I have ever had so much in 
my pocket since. 

"I knew Mr. Riland well; he was an excellent 
man : he used to visit much among the poor : he often 
came to me, whilst I was at work, and sat down upon 
the block or any thing, and would say, 6 Well, George, 
how are you ? Either ask me something, or tell me 
something. Re quick ! for I have much to do, and 
little time/ " 

* A provincial expression, for " dispersed." 



IN THE YEAR 1824. 



43 



The religion of this poor man was of a very ad- 
vanced and mature character. He quoted passages 
from Swedenborgh's writings, which he said he had 
read a good deal of; but, though there were some 
good things, " it was chiefly random stuff." 

I also visited Ellen Roebuck, aged eighty-five, 
living upon parish allowance, at Almondbury: she 
was very deaf, and infirm ; but when once she under- 
stood the object of my visit, she talked with great 
energy, and quoted Scripture with uncommon readi- 
ness and propriety. " I well remember his first 
coming to Huddersfield, and the first sermon he 
preached. It was on that text, ' My heart's desire for 
Israel is, that they may be saved ; ' and it was as true 
of himself as of St. Paul. I was always attentive to 
my Bible, and had read it through when I was but 
a child ; but I have reason to thank him for saving* 
me from hell. He took every method for instructing 
the people : he left nothing unturned. Always at 
work ! — it was a wonder he had not done for himself 
sooner. * The lads he catechized used to tell him that 
people said he was teaching a new doctrine, and lead- 
ing us into error; but he always replied, 'Never mind 
them — do not answer them — read your Bibles, and 
press forwards, dear lads ! press forwards ! and you 
cannot miss of heaven/ 33 With respect to herself, 
she said : " They tell me I am old, and must soon be 
gone : but I say, God gave me life ; He has preserved 
my life ; and He will take away my life whenever He 
sees best." 

Upon my asking her if she had seen much trouble, 
she replied : " Trouble ! aye, plenty of it ! But what 
signified trouble ! I would always down upon my 
knees directly, and I never wanted for comfort. I 



44 editor's visit to huddersfield, 

used to think how all things were appointed by God, 
and nothing could happen but as He pleased. Man 
may shoot an arrow, but God will direct it. I could 
always turn the Scriptures to my use, whatever hap- 
pened." 

Sally P , aged seventy-four, spoke of my grand- 
father with great reverence, but with deep emotion. 
I asked her whether she often thought about him : she 
replied : " Ah, Sir ! I have often thought about him, 
and the pains he took with us ; but it was all lost 
upon some of us. He had a most piercing tone ; and 
things that he said have ever since stuck to my mind." 
I asked her what she particularly alluded to : she 
said : " I remember that, just before he went, he told 
us all, that he had broken up our fallow ground, and 
sown good seed ; but that, if we did not watch over it, 
and it did not become fruitful, it would be so much 
the worse for us. And so it has been with me ! It 
is very sorrowful to think of these things ; and some- 
times it makes me very low. 33 

I trust, however, that this poor woman has been for 
many years recovered from the backslidings which she 
so touchingly confessed ; and will maintain to the 
end the humble and contrite frame of mind she now 
possesses, united, as it is, with reliance upon her 
Saviour for pardon and grace. By a remarkable coin- 
cidence, she had been reading, two days before I called 
upon her, " Lewis V Explanation of the Catechism," 
which my grandfather had given her when a child. 

I also saw John Starkey, of Cawcliff, aged eighty. 
He is past work, but maintained by the family of 
J. Whitaker, esq., in whose employment he has been 
from youth. As I conversed with him, he seemed 
gradually to wake up, till his countenance glistened 



IN THE YEAR 1824. 



45 



with joy. His faculties are still perfect, and his recol- 
lection ready and distinct. There was in him an un- 
common warmth of affection and benevolence. He 
said : " I esteemed Mr. Venn too much for a man ; I 
almost forgot that he was only a creature, and an 
instrument. His going away went nearer to my heart 
than any thing since. I was very wild and careless 
when a lad, and would not go to church; so Mr. 
Whitaker promised me sixpence if I would go three 
times ; but I don't know whether I earned it, I was 
so careless about every thing: however, soon after, 
I heard one sermon which made me begin to think. 
The text was, ' God is no respecter of persons/ &c. ; 
and he shewed that it was neither money nor learning, 
nor any thing else of that kind, which could make 
us happy ; but that, without holiness, we were under 
God's frown and curse. I then saw something of my 
real state ; and from that time I did not want hiring 
to go and hear him. I dont think any thing would 
have kept me from him. He was a wonderful 
preacher. When he got warm with his subject, he 
looked as if he would jump out of the pulpit. He 
made many weep. I have often wept at his sermons. 
I could have stood to hear him till morning. When 
he came up to the church, he used to go round the 
church-yard, and drive us all in before him. About 
seven or eight of us, who lived at Cawcliff, used to 
meet at each other's houses, once a week, for reading 
the Scriptures and prayer : but all my companions 
are now gone ; and I often think I am left alone, as 
David says, 4 like a sparrow upon the house-top.' It 
is a grief to me that I have now no one to talk with 
about spiritual things ; but then, I think I am almost 
turned eighty, and God has helped me hitherto, 



46 editor's visit to huddersfield, 

blessed be His name ! I cannot be much longer here, 
and I must not faint at last. That text has often 
cheered my spirits, ' Be content with such thing's as ye 
have; for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor 
forsake thee/ These words give me comfort ; for He 
has not forsaken me : — and then there is another, 
' With loving-kindness have I drawn thee/ Oh, blessed, 
blessed be His name, for His great loving-kindness ! 
I often think time is too short to praise Him. 
Eternity alone will be long enough ! I have found 
it to be, as the Scripture says, 'We must through 
great tribulation enter into the kingdom of heaven/ 
I have been tried in many ways." 

In answer to some remark, he said, " Ah, Sir ! I 
hope I never forget that it is the character which has 
a right to the promise. If I have not the character, 
how can I claim the promise ? I continually pray to 
God to search me, and try the ground of my heart. 
I try to keep up a jealousy over myself; for I often 
think what a dreadful thing it would be, if I were to 
fall away at the last. Yet I hope I shall be kept ; 
though I do not always feel so comfortable as I 
could wish ; and I often desire to have the advice of 
some one more learned than myself. I well remem- 
ber going over the hills to hear a preacher, and his 
sermon had a great effect on me ; for he preached 
upon that Scripture, ' My sheep hear my voice, and I 
know them, and they follow me ; and I give unto 
them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither 
shall any man pluck them out of my hand/ Blessed 
be God ! I hoped I was one of those sheep. — ' My 
Father is greater than all/ Ah ! that He is ; or else 
I should have been plucked out long since." 

He said, he had gone to Highfield Chapel ever 



IN THE YEAR 1824. 



47 



since it was built, upon Mr. Venn's removal : he 
rejoiced at the sight of the new churches at Hudders- 
field : he had much rather have pious ministers in 
churches than in chapels ; for many more would hear 
them: — he was waiting for death, in a good hope 
that God would receive him, for Christ's sake, into 
heaven : he would rather go than stay ; but he desired 
to wait God's time. 

I conversed with four other persons, who received 
their first serious impressions under Mr. Venn's mini- 
stry, and have since maintained a consistent religious 
profession. The substance of their recollections, 
though not perhaps of equal interest with what I have 
already recorded, yet no less strongly evinced their 
gratitude and affection for their revered pastor, and 
the extraordinary blessing which rested on his la- 
bours.* 

* Since the publication of the First Edition, I have learned that all 
the persons whose testimony is recorded above have died in the faith 
and peace of the Gospel. The minister who attended Sally P., in 
her last illness, writes in the following terms respecting her : — " She 
was generally more ready to speak of her own sinfulness and imper- 
fections, than of the goodness of God and an assurance of his love ; 
but still her hope was fixed on the sacrifice and righteousness of the 
Redeemer; and sometimes she would speak confidently, and say, 
though she felt herself to be a most unworthy and sinful creature, 
yet she believed that God, for Christ's sake, had forgiven her. She 
was a fearful Christian ; but yet she knew in whom she believed. 
The name of Jesus was to her as ointment poured forth ; and when, 
from various causes, she was disposed to be irritable, a conversation 
with her, on the character and offices of the Saviour, would compose 
her mind, so that, her friends remarked, the effect of it would remain 
for several days. From the constant use of our beautiful Liturgy, 
many parts of it were deeply impressed on her mind, and, to her 
dying hour, supplied her with the language of prayer ; and she said, 
when she could not bear to read, and could remember nothing else, 
portions of the Liturgy would recur to her mind, and comfort her, 
enabling her to lift up her heart in prayer." 



48 editor's visit to huddersfield, in 1824. 

I will add only a few more scattered recollections, 
which I received from different quarters, and which 
seem worthy of preservation. 

Mr. Venn made a great point of the due observance 
of the Sabbath in the town and parish. He induced 
several of the most respectable and influential inhabi- 
tants to perambulate the town, and, by persuasion, 
rather than by legal intimidation, to repress the open 
violation of the day. By such means, a great and 
evident reformation was accomplished. 

He endeavoured to preserve the utmost reverence 
and devotion in public worship, constantly pressing 
this matter upon his people. He read the service with 
peculiar solemnity and effect. The Te Deum> espe- 
cially, was recited with a triumphant air and tone, 
which often produced a perceptible sensation through- 
out the whole congregation. He succeeded in in- 
ducing the people to join in the responses and singing. 
Twice, in the course of his ministry at Huddersfield, 
he preached a course of sermons in explanation of the 
Liturgy. On one occasion, as he went up to church, 
he found a considerable number of persons in the 
church-yard, waiting for the commencement of the 
service. He stopped to address them, saying, he hoped 
they were preparing their hearts for the service of 
God — that he had himself much to do to preserve a 
right frame, &c. He concluded by waving his hand 
for them to go into the church before him, and 
waited till they had all entered. 

He took great pains in catechizing the young per- 
sons in his congregation, chiefly those who were above 
fourteen years old. The number was often very con- 
siderable; and he wrote out for their use a very 
copious explanation of the Church Catechism, in the 
way of Question and Answer. 



mr. Venn's removal to yelling. 49 

Such were the vivid and affectionate recollections 
of their revered pastor, cherished by the few re- 
maining members of Mr. Venn's flock at Hudders- 
field, after the lapse of above half a century. What, 
then, must have been the extent and importance of 
the impression produced by his labours at the time ! 
When I visited Huddersfield, I found it like the 
Prophet's olive-tree, after the harvest was over. There 
remained only " two or three berries on the top of the 
uppermost bough." How rich and plentiful must the 
harvest itself have been ! ] 

When my father came to Yelling, his feelings 
were most deeply excited by the striking contrast 
between the church at that place and at Huddersfield. 
Twenty or thirty rustics composed the Congregation, 
who seemed to be utterly void of every just view of 
religion ; but, when his strength was recruited, he 
laboured in that humble sphere with at least a propor- 
tionable degree of success. 

Soon after his removal to Yelling, he married a 
second time. The lady was the widow of Mr. Smith 
of Kensington, and daughter of the Rev. James 
Ascoug'h, Vicar of Highworth, Wilts. In the object 
of his choice, Mr. Venn found an interesting com- 
panion and a faithful friend ; and his children re- 
ceived the benefit of a maternal care ; to the value of 
which they are anxious, to this day, to give testimony. 
She lived with him twenty-one years, and was buried 
at Yelling. 

There was an advantage attending the situation 
of Yelling, which rendered my father's usefulness in 
retirement much greater than it would otherwise have 
been. As Yelling is only twelve miles from Cam- 
bridge, many of the younger members of that Univer- 

E 



50 INTERCOURSE WITH YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE. 



sity, and particularly pious young ministers, were 
accustomed to repair to him, to be instructed by his 
counsel, and animated by the views he possessed of the 
Gospel they were to preach. 

His powers of conversation were so admirable, his 
knowledge of religion so extensive, his acquaintance 
with the world so instructive, and his vigour of mind 
so great, that, wherever he was, and in whatever com- 
pany he was placed, every one silently hung upon his 
lips, and enjoyed the richest feast from his conversa- 
tion. I lately met with a clergyman, who came over, 
with two others, to pay him a visit, without any pre- 
vious acquaintance with him, or any introduction but 
that which arose from community of sentiment. He 
told me, that, to the latest hour of his life, he should 
never forget that conversation ; that it made so deep 
an impression on him, that he did not forget one 
single sentence; that, after hearing him converse 
almost during the whole day, he returned with his 
companions to Cambridge at night ; and each deter- 
mined, with an earnestness they had never felt before, 
to devote themselves unreservedly to the promotion of 
the Gospel of Christ. The party wrote down the 
heads of that interesting conversation : but, added 
my friend, I had no occasion to write it down, for it 
was impressed indelibly upon my memory ; and that 
day stands distinguished amongst all the other days 
of my life, like a day spent in Paradise.* 

My father continued his ministerial labours till he 
began to find his faculties impaired by age. He 
then had wisdom and fortitude enough to retire from 

* The narrator of this interview was the Rev. Charles Jerram, 
Vicar of Witney, Oxon. ; and one of his companions was the late Rev. 
Thomas Thomason, of Calcutta. 



MEMOIR CONTINUED BY THE EDITOR. 51 

that work, which, he said, required all the highest and 
noblest faculties of man. He used to observe, that 
the Levites, under the old Testament, were dismissed 
from their service at the age of fifty; and collected 
from it, that God, who is the most gracious and tender 
of masters, did not require that His servants should 
exert themselves any longer than while their full 
powers and faculties continued 



Here the Memoir prepared by the Rev. John Venn 
abruptly terminates. Much as this circumstance must 
be deplored, it will be some relief to reflect that his 
main object had been accomplished; namely, that of 
tracing accurately the progress of his father's mind in 
religious knowledge and attainments. 

The last twenty years of Mr. Venn's life were 
marked by no peculiar or striking events. His inter- 
course with the young men at Cambridge, which has 
been already described, is to be regarded, I conceive, 
as his chief sphere of usefulness during this period. 
Several of the most eminent and laborious ministers 
of the generation which is now well nigh passed away 
might be mentioned as having been visitors at Yelling, 
during their residence in Cambridge. One of the 
earliest amongst the number was the late Rev. Thomas 
Robinson, Vicar of St. Mary's, Leicester ; who, as his 
biographer informs us, took Mr. Venn for his "pro- 
totype" in the discharge of his ministerial duties. 

Still more important were the advantages which his 
society afforded to some who remained in the Univer- 
sity ; and who have been honoured, in their turn, as 
the instruments of fostering, directing, and establishing 
the piety of a multitude of young men, who have, 
e 2 



52 



TESTIMONY OF MR. SIMEON. 



each successive year, left college, to enter upon the 
duties of the ministry. The name of the Rev. Charles 
Simeon, Fellow of King's College, will at once occur 
to most of my readers. It would be difficult, in my 
opinion, to estimate too highly the influence of the 
labours of this excellent man upon the cause of Reli- 
gion in general, and of that Church in particular of 
which he was ever the most firm and efficient friend. 
But whatever value may be attached to his labours, a 
proportionable degree of importance will be reflected 
upon Mr. Venn's connexion with Cambridge ; for 
Mr. Simeon willingly acknowledged how much he 
owed, under God, to his judicious and animating 
counsel; as the following striking testimony, written 
after the perusal of the foregoing Memoir, will prove. 

" I most gladly bear my testimony, that not the half, nor 
the hundredth part, of what might have been justly said of 
that blessed man of God, is here spoken. If any person now- 
living, his surviving children alone excepted, is qualified to 
bear this testimony, it is I ; who, from my first entrance 
into Orders, to his dying hour, had most intimate access to 
him, and enjoyed most of his company and conversation. How 
great a blessing his conversation and example have been to me 
will never be known till the Day of Judgment. I dislike the 
language of panegyric ; and therefore forbear to expatiate 
upon a character which is, in my estimation, above all praise. 
Scarcely ever did I visit him, but he prayed with me, at 
noon-day, as well as at the common seasons of family worship : 
scarcely ever did I dine with him, but his ardour in returning 
thanks, sometimes in an appropriate hymn, and sometimes 
in a thanksgiving prayer, has inflamed the souls of all present, 
so as to give us a foretaste of Heaven itself: and, in all the 
twenty-four years that I knew him, I never remember him 



CLOSE OF MR. VENN'S MINISTRY. 



53 



to have spoken unkindly of any one, but once ; and I was 
particularly struck with the humiliation which he expressed 
for it, in his prayer, the next day. t£ ^ Simeon " 

There are two other names which must be ever 
associated with that of Simeon, in the same honourable 
career of usefulness amongst the Students of Cam- 
bridge, who were constant guests at Yelling, and 
deeply indebted to the counsel and example of Mr. 
Venn ; namely, the Rev. William Farish, M.A. Pro- 
fessor of Chemistry, and afterwards Jacksonian Pro- 
fessor ; and the Rev. Joseph Jowett, LL.D. Professor 
of Civil Law. In the earlier years of Mr. Simeon's 
ministry, when his religious views were discoun- 
tenanced by almost universal consent, and when every 
species of opposition which authority, learning, or 
malice could invent was exerted to suppress them ; it 
was a signal providence, that the same views were 
upheld and defended by two fellow-labourers, who 
commanded the general respect of the University ; the 
one, by talents of the highest order in mathematical 
and scientific pursuits ; the other, by his distinguished 
classical attainments. 

The leisure which Mr. Venn enjoyed at Yelling 
enabled him to keep up a very extensive correspon- 
dence ; and the present volume will sufficiently prove 
how much advantage his numerous distant friends 
derived from the labours of his pen. 

After he left Yorkshire, he generally spent a few 
weeks in each year in London. On these occasions 
he preached many times in the week, as well as on 
the Sundays. Numerous audiences were collected : 
his sermons were listened to with the deepest atten- 
tion ; and he received many testimonies of their use- 



54 



ACCOUNT OF MR. VENN'S FAMILY. 



fulness. His own spirit was much refreshed by these 
visits ; and his clerical friends were accustomed to hail 
his arrival amongst them as a season of peculiar plea- 
sure and advantage. When he visited London in the 
spring of 1791, he declined, for the first time, appear- 
ing in the pulpit. In the autumn of the same year 
he engaged a permanent curate for Yelling — the Rev. 
Maurice Evans ; and, after that period, seldom offici- 
ated, even in his own small and retired church. 

In other places, upon one or two particular occa- 
sions, he was prevailed upon to address a congrega- 
tion; and the partiality of friends would have per- 
suaded him that he could still speak with power and 
effect, and that he ought not to desist from preaching ; 
but he replied, that, in his better days, it had been his 
decided judgment that ministers should retire from the 
public discharge of their office " when they had lived 
to the dregs of life," and that he would now abide by 
his former judgment. 

The age of sixty-eight may seem a very early 
period for withdrawing from the public duties of his 
office ; but his constitution had never recovered from 
the effects of excessive exertion at Huddersfield ; and 
old age came prematurely upon him. 

The many temporal mercies which surrounded Mr. 
Venn in these evening hours of his life were the 
theme of his constant gratitude and praise. His 
family consisted of a son and three daughters; one 
daughter having died in childhood. He was pecu- 
liarly happy in his children, who all exhibited, as 
they grew up, the good effects of a wise education, 
and those Christian graces which were, in his sight, 
of supreme and inestimable value. The character of 
the son is not unknown to the public : I will only 



HIS DECLINING YEARS. 



55 



therefore add the words which were a thousand times 
on Mr. Venn's lips : — "A wise son maketh a glad 
father/' His eldest daughter, Eling, was married, in 
1785, to the late Charles Elliott, esq., of Brighton; 
who, at the time of his marriage, was engaged in busi- 
ness in London. Mr. Venn's correspondence with this 
new member of his family will supply several valu- 
able letters in the following pages : for in Mr. Elliott, 
fervent piety was united with great intelligence and 
activity of mind : his veneration for Mr. Venn was 
truly filial; and he enjoyed a full return of parental 
regard and affection. In 17S9, Mr. Venn's son was 
married to Miss King, of Hull. In 1790, his youngest 
daughter, Catherine, married the Rev. James Hervey, 
M. A. His second daughter, J ane Catherine, remained 
unmarried. She was his sole and inseparable com- 
panion during the last few years of his life ; and 
watched over his declining health with devoted and 
tender assiduity. A strong understanding and a well- 
furnished mind rendered her society a never-failing 
source of satisfaction and entertainment ; and her 
judicious and active benevolence supplied his lack of 
service, when he was no longer able to inquire into 
the wants and necessities of his parishioners : so that 
he had still the gratification of seeing the poor and 
sick and wretched flocking to the Parsonage-house for 
relief, as to a well-known asylum. 

Even after Mr. Venn was disabled from the exer- 
cise of his ministry, he knew not, as he often remarked, 
what it was to have a tedious or vacant hour. He 
found constant employment in reading and writing, 
and in the exercises of prayer and meditation : he 
declared that he had never felt more fervency of 
devotion than whilst imploring spiritual blessings for 



56 HIS DECLINING YEARS AND DEATH. 

his children and friends, and especially for the success 
of those who were still engaged in the ministry of 
the blessed Gospel, from which he was himself laid 
aside. For himself, his prayer was, that he might die 
to the glory of Christ. " There are some moments," 
he once said, " when I am afraid of what is to come 
in the last agonies ; but I trust in the Lord to hold 
me up. I have a great work before me — to suffer, 
and to die, to His glory." But the spread of the 
Redeemer's kingdom lay nearer his heart than any 
earthly or personal concerns : even when the decay 
of strength produced an occasional torpor, this subject 
would rouse him to a degree of fervency and joy, 
from which his bodily frame would afterwards mate- 
rially suffer. I have understood that nothing more 
powerfully excited his spirits than the presence of 
young ministers whose hearts he believed to be truly 
devoted to the service of Christ. 

About six months before his death, he finally left 
Yelling, and removed to Clapham, where his son was 
now settled as Rector. His health, from this period, 
became very precarious: he was often upon the brink 
of the grave, and then unexpectedly restored. A 
medical friend, the late John Pearson, esq., who fre- 
quently visited him at this time, observed, that the 
near prospect of dissolution so elated his mind with 
joy, that it proved a stimulus to life. Upon one 
occasion, Mr. Venn himself remarked some fatal ap- 
pearances ; exclaiming, " Surely these are good sym- 
ptoms ! " Mr. Pearson replied : " Sir, in this state of 
joyous excitement you cannot die." 

At length, on the 24th of June 1797, his happy 
spirit was released, and entered into the long-antici- 
pated joy of his Lord. 



list of mr. venn's works^ 



57 



The duty of a Biographer seems to require that 
some general sketch should be given of the charactsr 
of the man whose life is presented to the public. 
But, in the present instance, I am persuaded that I 
shall be excused from attempting this task ; since the 
most striking features of the character before us have 
already been portrayed in the Memoir, in far more 
vivid and attractive colours than the hand, into which 
the pencil has now fallen, can command. At the 
same time, I present a Collection of Letters, which 
will reflect so genuine an image of that character, 
that my readers will need no further help in obtaining 
an intimate acquaintance with the mind and feelings 
of this great and good man. 



The following is a List of the Works of Mr. Venn, 
published in his life-time, with the dates at which 
they first appeared. 

1759. — A volume, comprising Fourteen Sermons, published 
upon his removal to Huddersfield, and dedicated " To the 
Gentlemen of Clapham, as an acknowledgment of the very 
many civilities and marks of friendship received by him during 
the time of his residence amongst them " 

1763.—" The Complete Duty of Man." Of this well- 
known and popular work mention has already been made in 
the Memoir. But it may be proper to notice, that it was 
originally divided into fourteen chapters. These portions 
were thought too long ; and therefore, in the third edition, a 
new division was made into fifty-two chapters, to correspond 
with the number of Sundays in the year : but, by this arrange- 
ment, the subjects were inconveniently broken. A middle 
plan was therefore adopted in the fifth edition, and the 



5S 



list of mr. Venn's works. 



number of chapters reduced to forty: very considerable im- 
provements were also made in the style and language. Some 
late editions have unfortunately been printed from the earlier 
copies of the work : it is therefore important to observe, that 
those editions are the best, which adopt the division into forty 
chapters. 

1769. — "An Examination of Dr. Priestley's Free Address 
on the Lord's Supper." 8vo. pp. 91. In this work, various 
passages in Dr. Priestley's Address are examined, and the 
deistical tendency of them detected. 

1774. — "Mistakes in Religion exposed; an Essay on 
the Prophecy of Zacharias." In this work, Mr. Venn takes 
occasion, from the words of the Song of Zacharias, in the first 
chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, to expose several capital mis- 
takes relating to the doctrines and precepts of religion. The 
mistakes thus selected are such as he judged most important, 
"from long observation of their bad effects, in the course 
of more than twenty years' exercise of his profession, first 
in London and its near neighbourhood, afterwards in the 
large and very populous parish of Huddersfield." This work 
has passed through many editions, and is still kept in print. 

1786.— "Memoirs of Sir John Barnard, Knt., M.P. for 
the City of London." 4to. pp. 22. This brief memorial was 
drawn up immediately after the death of Sir John, which 
took place in 1764. "It was at length published, from an 
impulse of affectionate reverence for his memory, no longer 
to be resisted ; and, as a signal instance, that one of the first 
men of his age, and the glory of London, attained this pre- 
eminence from the best principles which can govern the 
human mind." Copious extracts from these Memoirs are 
inserted in Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary — "Barnard." 



LIST OF MR. VENN S WORKS. 



59 



The following single Sermons were also published : 

1758. — "Popery a perfect Contrast to the Religion of 
Christ:" on James iii. 17. 

1759 — " The Variance between Real and Nominal Chris- 
tians considered ; and the cause of it explained: " on Matt.x. 
35, 36. 

1760. — "The Duty of a Parish Priest; his obligations 
to perform it ; and the incomparable pleasure of a life devoted 
to the cure of souls." A Visitation Sermon at Wakefield, 
on Col. iv. 17. 

"An earnest and pressing Call to keep holy the Lord's 
Day:" on Ezek. xx. 13. 

1762.— "Christ the Joy of the Christian's Life; and 
Death his Gain :" on Phil. i. 21. "A Funeral Sermon on 
the Death of the Rev. W. Grimshawe, A.B., Minister of 
the Parish of Haworth, Yorkshire ; with a Sketch of his Life 
and Ministry." 

1769. — "Man a Condemned Prisoner, and Christ the 
Stronghold to save nim:" on Zech. ix. 12. An Assize Ser- 
mon, at Kingston, Surrey. 

1770. — "A Funeral Sermon on the Death of the Rev- 
George Whitfield:" on Isaiah viii. 18. 

1779. — " The Conversion of Sinners the greatest Charity : " 
on Ps. cxix. 136. A Sermon on behalf of the Society for 
Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor. 

1785. — "The Deity of Christ: the practical benefit of 
believing it with a true heart, and the pernicious conse- 
quences which follow the denial of it proved : " on Matt. xxii. 
41, 42. A Visitation Sermon at Huntingdon. 



PART II. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, 



( S3 ) 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



SECTION I. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM MR. VENNS FIRST APPOINTMENT 
TO HUDDERSFIELD, TILL HIS REMOVAL TO YELLING. 



In presenting to the public the following Selection from 
Mr. Venn's Correspondence, it will be necessary to make a 
few preliminary remarks. 

Mr. Venn never preserved copies of the letters he wrote. 
I have therefore been indebted to the kindness of numerous 
friends, to whom I beg to offer my most grateful acknow- 
ledgments, for a very large collection of Original Letters, 
amounting to above a thousand in number, and extending 
over a period of above forty years. Out of these, I have 
selected about one-fourth part for publication. In making 
this selection, I have been guided by two considerations : 
First, I have chosen those which appeared to possess the 
greatest intrinsic excellence; and, in the next place, those 
which might serve to exemplify the character of an eminently 
pious minister, in his family and parish. The latter consi- 
deration must plead my apology for preserving the mention 
of many domestic circumstances, which would otherwise be 
utterly unworthy of public notice. However trivial and 
unimportant such circumstances may appear in themselves, 
the sentiments and feelings, to which they gave rise, will, I 
trust, find a response in the breast of every pious parent and 
faithful minister. 



64 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



With the view of sustaining the interest with which the 
letters will be read, I have preserved, in general, a chrono- 
logical arrangement. I have also ventured to intersperse 
explanatory and connecting remarks ; avoiding, however, the 
repetition of matter which has already appeared in the 
Memoir. 

Many of the letters have been reduced in length, by the 
omission of unimportant passages, or of such as have been 
judged unsuitable for publication ; and, where this has been 
done without affecting in any degree the sense of the context, 
marks of omission have not been preserved : on the other 
hand, where only a part of a letter seemed sufficiently inter- 
esting, it has been inserted in the form of an extract. 

The Selection commences with letters relating to Mr. 
Venn's removal from the curacy of Clapham to the vicarage 
of Huddersfleld. The patron of that living was Sir John 
Ramsden, Bart., to whom Mr. Venn was a perfect stranger : 
but, upon its vacancy, by resignation, in 1759, the Earl of 
Dartmouth earnestly recommended him, without his know- 
ledge, to Sir John Ramsden, who immediately offered the 
presentation to him : he hesitated, however, for several weeks, 
about accepting the offer ; and at length determined to visit 
the place, and make his decision on the spot. He travelled 
into Yorkshire on horseback : and the following letters were 
written in the course of the journey. 



JOURNEY TO HUDDERSFIELD. 



65 



TO MRS. VENN. 
My DEAR E. Newport Pagnell, April 3, 1759. 

I can, through the great and tender mercy of 
God, give you joy, by assuring you I am at present 
much the better for my journey hither, which is 
more than fifty miles. I have a good appetite, fine 
weather, and good roads : but what are these, united, 
if God is absent? if we are left to our poverty of 
nature — left to our own vain unsatisfying thoughts 
— left destitute of that sweet intercourse which is the 
proper happiness, nay, the very life, of the immortal 
spirit ? In vain is it for the sun to shine, the land- 
scape to smile, the roads to encourage our journey ; — 
still must the soul, in such a case, be heavy and 
dispirited. But quite the reverse has been my happy 
experience these two days. Every hour on the road 
has been a sacrifice of prayer or praise. God has 
marvellously brought forth the spear, and stopped 
the incursion of rude unhallowed thoughts, and filled 
me with thoughts excellent and purifying — with 
intense desires after the knowledge of Himself, His 
Son, His Gospel, and His promises ; so that, were it 
not for my dear wife, all on earth would be forgotten 
in the joyous contemplation of God, and the earnest 
going-forth of my soul after Him. When I have thus 
been engaged for myself, I am employed in entreat- 
ing for you, that you may be supported and com- 
forted in spirit, refreshed and strengthened in body ; 
that my absence may not be tedious; nor the pre- 
sence of a sinful creature be deemed essential in such 
a degree to your peace and happiness, that you should 
not enjoy them without me. With you I am mindful 
of our two sweet babes ; that, as the wife of Manoah 

F 



66 



ELEVATED FEELINGS, 



prayed for Sampson, we may be taught how to order 
and what to do to them, that the guardian power 
of a Covenant God, and the heritage of His faithful 
servants, may be their heritage. I then proceed to 
remember our noble friends, and our most generous 
benefactors,* according as I understand their respec- 
tive necessities. In the intervals, I sing a song of 
Zion; such as becomes the ransomed of the Lord; 
such as His boundless love has put into their mouths. 
From this account, you will understand that I suffer 
no loss, even of present pleasure, from travelling alone. 
When God fulfils that promise, as He ever will to 
them that ask it, "I will dwell in them, and walk in 
them," — when, I say, the reality of this promise is 
experienced, the company of a Christian friend would 
even disturb and distress me ; and whilst that grace, 
which has been vouchsafed me since I set out, con- 
tinues, there is not that highly-favoured Child of God 
upon earth whose company I would covet. But, to 
make us know how undeserved the gift is, how 
entirely out of our power to preserve or keep, the 
Lord adjusts " the times of refreshing from His pre- 
sence/ 3 and, as seemeth Him good, gives light and 
joy, or withholds and diminishes. But this is our 
sure foundation, that our abiding trust is in the Lord ; 
and whilst that abides, the love of God to the soul is 
unchangeable and eternal. Be sure you send me an 
exact account of your health. My stages to Hudders- 
field will be very easy, this road ; and almost every 
night I shall stop at the house of a friend. I suppose, 
before my dearest creature receives this letter, she 
will have a line from Mr. Harvey, whom I met a few 

* Alluding to Lord Dartmouth's exertions in procuring him the offer 
of Huddersfield. 



DURING HIS JOURNEY TO HUDDERSFIELD. 67 

miles off, and desired him to let you know I was well. 
When I am separated and absent from you for a sea- 
son, I feel more sensibly, than when at home, my 
union in love with you. So it is in spiritual things : 
the silent complaining's of the faithful soul — "Lord! 
wherefore art Thou absent so long ? why is the light 
of Thy countenance withdrawn ?" — far from being 
any evidence of want of faith, do abundantly prove its 
reality and strength. 

The God who is love — love in all His providences, 
in all His dealings towards them that fear Him, and 
believe in the name of His only-begotten Son — bless 
you with all blessings ! — My best affection to Mr. Daw 
and my sister. May you all be one in Christ ! 

H. Venn. 

TO A FRIEND. 

Though I travel alone, my mind, and the 

mind of every believer, has employment enough. He 
looks within; and sees the plague of his own heart — 
self-conceit, and self-will — much darkness in his un- 
derstanding, and much depravity in his affections — 
much of unbelief, and of unsuitable behaviour from a 
creature to its Creator, from a sinner to His Redeemer. 
He can look upwards ; and break forth with fervent 
desire after the things which are above, God — the 
Father, the Son, and the Spirit — obedience to His 
will, and love to all men for His sake. He can look 
on every side, and find matter for prayer — for con- 
verted and unconverted relatives, friends, benefactors. 
He can look backward, to the day when he hung upon 
the breast ; and forward, to the endless ages of eter- 
nity ; and hear the loud call of mercy upon mercy, to 
gratitude and praise. Thus is the believer furnished, 
y2 



68 



EMPLOYMENT IN SOLITUDE. 



wherever he goes: from this rich fund he draws a 
pure and lasting satisfaction, which strengthens and 
establishes his mind in the good ways of the Lord 

TO MRS. VENN. 

Nottingham^ April 5, 1759. 
God has most graciously brought me, my dearest 
E., in increasing strength, to this town, within seventy 
miles of my journey's end ; to perform which, I have 
before me two days and a half. I have been still 
highly favoured with the presence of our adorable 
Covenant God. This has cheered the way, and made 
my time pass delightfully, though without company. 
Oh ! how ought we to pray for those who live without 
God in the world ! How [forlorn their condition, in 
many circumstances ! How irksome to travel, as I 
shall, five or six hundred miles, a burden to them- 
selves, if they turn their eyes inward ; not able to 
have their own enjoyments, mean as they are ; and no 
invisible God, to hold sweet intercourse with by the 
way! 

Immediately upon my arrival here, I received your 
letter of good news, which was doubly acceptable, as 
I could not but be under many fears lest your concern 
for me might throw you back. How does our God 
abound in the most tender expressions of His favour 
towards us ! How does He embrace us with mercy on 
every side ! 

You will believe me, when I assure you, it gives 
me great pleasure to find you love me so tenderly. 
But you have need to beware, lest I should stand in 
God's place ; for your expressions, " that you know 
not how to be from me an hour without feeling the 



CAUTION AGAINST UNDUE AFFECTION. 69 

loss, &c." seem to imply something of this kind. My 
dearest E., we must ever remember that word which 
God hath spoken from Heaven : " The time is short : 
let those who have wives be as if they had none ; and 
those who rejoice, as if they rejoiced not." Both for 
myself and you, I would always pray that God may be 
so much dearer to us, than we are to each other, that 
our souls in His love may "delight themselves in 
fatness," and feel He is an all-sufficient God. By 
this means we shall be most likely to continue toge- 
ther, and not provoke the stroke of separation by an 
idolatrous love to one another. By this means 
we shall love one another in God, and for God; 
and be armed with the whole armour of God, for all 
events. 

Write me word, in your next — which you will direct 
to me at Huddersneld — how you find the state of your 
immortal soul. Surely God has abounded in loving- 
kindness to us, more than to others ! Let us stir 
up each other to return sincere and vehement love 
for all His benefits. 

I can discover the horrible pride of my desperately 
wicked heart, in the disagreeable feeling the meanness 
of the towns I pass through gives me, upon supposi- 
tion I am to be fixed in one like them. What deep 
root have worldly lusts in my soul ! And how easy 
is it to have the name of having overcome the world, 
yea, to flatter ourselves we really have done it by 
faith, when, still, love to comfortable accommodations, 
and to have things handsome about us, prevails ! 

Dinner is just coming upon table. I have also to 
see my horse fed ; — and therefore, without filling the 
other side, I must conclude ; praying that the Eternal 
God may be your refuge, the redemption which is 



70 



LETTER OF MRS. VENN. 



in Jesus your portion, and the Holy Ghost your Com- 
forter. Grace be with you, and all in our house ! 

H. Venn. 



The answer of Mrs. Venn to the foregoing letter has 
fortunately been preserved. I therefore insert it in this place, 
in the confidence that it will be deemed sufficiently interesting 
in itself, and shew how worthy she was of the partner to 
whom she was united. 



FROM MRS. VENN. 

Clapham, April 7, 1759. 
A thousand thanks to you, my dear, for your early 
care to let me hear of your welfare ! I do not forget 
to return my thanks and praise to Him who is the 
Author of 'the blessings bestowed on us both. What 
joy did it give me, to hear the account you give ! 
how abundantly the want of an earthly companion 
was made up ! it brought to my eyes tears of joy. 
Certainly, far sweeter is such intercourse than any 
earthly communion, even with the most advanced 
Christian, can possibly be : and when such favours 
are vouchsafed, all troubles are light, all wants 
vanish. This the believing soul is sensible of; but 
a strange enthusiastic mystery it appears to others. 
Yet, blessed be my adorable Redeemer ! my own ex- 
perience has oftentimes confirmed this truth to my soul. 
I well know what it means ; though I do not enjoy it 
at all times, nor in that exalted degree to which some 
favoured Christians attain. However, I trust I shall 
be satisfied ; because I know the earnest desire of my 
soul, and my constant cry to my God, is, for more love, 



LETTER OF MRS. VENN. 



71 



more light, more zeal, and more holiness of every kind. 

In yours from Nottingham, you fear for me, lest 
my love for you should be carried too far. But, 
indeed, I believe you need not fear. I do not think 
I love you more than God has commanded me. 
What love ought the Church to have for her Head, 
how to feel his absence, how to seek and desire the 
return of her Beloved ! Submission only, and a steady 
perseverance in all the commands and ordinances left 
her, are required, as her part to perform, while she 
waits and longs for the return of her beloved Head. 
Now, I am very sure I do not carry the matter further 
than this : so pray answer me to it ! 

And now to give you an account of myself: — I do 
not remember that I have shed a tear since the day 
you left me ; but am cheerful and easy. A sigh, or 
so, on Friday, which was a very wet day ; but no 
further : so that I think you cannot blame me. 

You ask me about the state of my soul : but I 
hardly know how to give you any satisfactory answer. 
It is not in the best, neither in the worst, state that I 
have found it in, since I have been blessed with any 
knowledge of spiritual concerns. My desires after 
God, and for actual holiness, are exceeding earnest 
and strong. A deep and lively sense of the many and 
late mercies, vouchsafed to me and mine, fills my heart 
with much praise and thankfulness. I am full of 
peace. But what have I to disturb my quiet ? May 
not the abounding of temporal blessings satisfy nature ; 
and so give that peace, while grace has no part in the 
procuring of it? — I feel a backwardness to talk of 
God, or the things of God, and a sort of easy careless- 
ness creeping upon me ; so that, though in my in- 
most soul I am breathing after God, I am yet unwilling 



72 



LETTER OF MRS. VENN. 



to discover it, or suffer it to break out into action. 
I cannot better explain my present state. May God 
bless our union, by making you a minister of grace 
to your wife, and causing her soul to be replenished 
and renewed under your ministry ; that you may be 
made joyful, by finding yourself a guide and leader of 
the soul of your Syphe * to the mansions of bliss and 
glory, which a very short space only keeps us from, 
and where we shall be perfectly united, to all eternity ! 

I am sorry to hear, the passing through those poor 
towns occasioned such stirrings of pride. I am very 
sensible, if the meanness of them has had such an 
effect on you, it will be far worse with me ; because 
my pride is far less subdued than yours : and should 
our lot be cast, as you observe, where our accommo- 
dations are but mean and low, I fear I shall find a 
great struggle, and a long while before it is overcome. 
However, I hope to be strengthened according to my 
trial. Mrs. Knipe begs to be remembered to you, and 
that you will not forget her at the Throne of Grace, 
as she daily remembers you. Praying that mercy 
and peace may abound towards us, I am, with all our 
love, Yours, E. V. 



In subsequent letters, Mr. Venn announces his arrival at 
Huddersfield, and his acceptance of the living. He describes 
the state of his feelings in the following terms : — 



I am now fully determined that it is the will of 
God we should come here. I have gone through 



* A playful appellation. 



ACCEPTANCE OF HUDDERSFIELD. 



73 



much perplexity and uneasy suspense ; being one day 
in this mind, through some favourable circumstance ; 
another day, in quite a different opinion. — I made 
earnest prayer to our most loving and gracious Father, 
that He would look down upon His poor doubting 
child, unwilling to take a step which there might be 
cause to repent of ; and fearful of doing wrong, either 

by removing, or by refusing the situation. 1 have 

since enjoyed an ease of mind and satisfaction, in the 
prospect of settling at Huddersfield, quite undisturbed. 
This, joined to the great appearance of my usefulness 
in Huddersfield, makes me account little of the incon- 
veniences we may meet with. 

TO MRS. VENN. 

Huddersfield, April 15, 1759. 
I see, my dearest love, it was the same tender 
mercy of God, which has embraced me on every side, 
ever since I was born, that reserved you for my wife. 
Let those who never knew nor experienced the plea- 
sure of disinterested love, of a union of hearts in the 
adorable Redeemer, talk of marrying well, and to ad- 
vantage, when they enrich each other with this world's 
goods : as for myself, I would again prefer a daughter 
of faithful Abraham to the heiress of Dives. I never 
saw so clearly how thankful I should be to God for 
you, as this day. Upon my return from York, I 
found your two letters : it was nine days since I had 
heard of you. I was fearful lest the very violent rains 
should have made you uneasy on my account, and 
that uneasiness brought on illness. 

Your letter much strengthens me ; and you write 
as if God had inclined you also to love Huddersfield. 



74 



mr. venn's anticipations of 



But, whatever the event may be, we may be sure we 
have God for our guide, since we have left nothing 
undone, which lies in our power, to commit the cause 
entirely to Him, and to seek direction from Him. If 
we should go there, I believe, in the most important 
points, it will answer. I trust I shall prosper much 
more in my own soul, by much reading, meditation, 
and prayer ; and, which fills me with delight in the 
thought, shall have opportunity of praying with you 
alone, as often as the great Mr. Bolton with his wife 
— twice every day. 

The house, I am sure, you will like much, when 
it is furnished : it will be better than our Clapham 
house. But, what is best of all, such a vast multitude 
of souls to hear — under my care, fourteen hundred 
families! — and out of other parishes, together, my 
audience this afternoon could not be less than upwards 
of three thousand ! One of the tradesmen has been 
much affected ; and stays two days, that he may ride 
up with me to town. People seem in general much 
pleased ; and I have preached every time from notes 
only. Oh, the happy life we should lead, should God 
be pleased to give us the hearts of many of this people, 
and appoint me a pastor over them, according to His 
own heart ! 

" This one thing will I require ; 
Nothing on earth, besides, desire." 
I am glad there are but two whole days before I 
shall be drawing nearer and nearer to my dearest 
Syphe. I am still exceedingly well. God heareth 
prayer, and dealeth bounteously with them that put 
their trust in Him. Tell Mrs. Knipe, that leaving her 
and her dear brother will be a bitter ingredient in my 
cup. You must assure her there shall be a Mrs. 



FUTURE HAPPINESS AT HUDDERSFIELD. 75 



Knipe's room at the Vicarage-house. Has P. come 
to a determination ? — and will she accept the honour 
of being first maid in the vicar's family ? I know not 
where to direct you to write to me next. 

The Lord of life and glory bless and sanctify you, 
my dear, wholly ! and give you such clear increasing 
views of His own exceeding great loveliness and 
glory, that even your children and your husband may 
be as nothing, in your eyes, in comparison of Jesus 
Christ ! 

Ever yours, H. Venn. 



Mrs. Knipe, the lady mentioned in the two preceding 
letters, was sister to John Thornton, Esq. I am indebted to 
Mr. Venn's correspondence with her for some of the earliest 
letters I have been able to procure, written during his 
residence at Huddersfield. 



TO MRS. knipe. 

Huddersfield, June 20, 1760. 
Your letter, dear Madam, which I received this 
day, was a feast to us and our Christian friends who 
were with us from Thornhill : though, if it had been 
the good pleasure of God, we should have rejoiced to 
have had a better account of my sister. Irregular 
self-love, and ignorance of the benefits of affliction, 
make us often impatient to see our dear friends freed 
from suffering ; though the painful operation is all 
for health, and under the management of the Divine 
Physician, who bled for us on the cross. It was a 
great pleasure indeed to me, to hear that your brother, 
for whose spiritual welfare I must ever be deeply con- 



76 



ZEAL FOR MORAL DUTIES 



cerned, did not differ from me in his judgment of 
those books which I conclude were recommended. 
The most plausible way that I know, and by far the 
most successful, of supplanting the Gospel, is, by a 
pretended or real zeal for the practice of moral duties. 
To be sober, humane, a good father, husband, master, 
and neighbour, is what all must wish to attain — is 
what all will so applaud, when attained — that it seems 
rash and uncharitable to say, " Yet lackest thou one 
thing/' Honour the Saviour of sinners. Let thy 
heart be ever as an altar, on which the fire of love to 
Him is kept alive, if it is not, alas ! always bright and 
flaming, as it should be. I was the more rejoiced to 
find your dear brother approved of my judgment on 
the books, because certainly the crying abomination 
of our age is, contempt of Christ. In proof of this, 
you may hear sermons and religious books much ex- 
tolled, where there is not so much as any mention of 
the Prince of Peace, in whom God was manifest, to 
reconcile the world unto Himself. Mr. Lawrence 
Sterne, prebendary of York, published, a few weeks 
since, two volumes of sermons. They are much com- 
mended by the Critical Reviewers. I have read 
them ; and, excepting a single phrase or two, they 
might be preached in a synagogue or a mosque with- 
out offence. O Madam ! what reason have you for 
thankfulness and rejoicing, that you know yourself to 
be poor and needy, blind and guilty ; that you can 
hear, as life-giving sounds, that voice of God, " Behold, 
I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, 
a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation," that who- 
soever belie veth on Him shall not make haste. For 
my own part, I daily see more and more, that if I 
would walk before God, and delight myself in Him, 



IN DANGER OF SUPPLANTING THE GOSPEL. 77 

the only possible way is, to behold His glory, as it is 
manifested in the undertakings and offices of His only- 
begotten Son. 

It was quite reviving to us, to hear you intend to 
visit Huddersfield every year. You will remember, 
we have it under your own hand ; and, with Chris- 
tians, promises are sacred. I shall stand in need of 
the pleasure your company imparts ; as I am about to 
have a severe trial, I fear, in parting with Mr. Burnett.* 
His friends in Cornwall advise him entirely to leave 
Yorkshire, under a notion that he has too much duty 
laid upon him. I am apprehensive he will be per- 
suaded ; and where I shall get an Assistant, whose 
heart is engaged to save souls, and to preach Christ 
Crucified without unscriptural peculiarities, I know 
not. But the Chief Shepherd of the flock, I trust, 
should the case be so, will, in mercy to me and my 
people, send some one to help me, — not for filthy 
lucre's sake, but of a ready mind. 

I bless God you have found such company as those 
excellent ones of the earth. Ah ! what is the chaff to 
the wheat ! what the empty talking of vanity, every 
one with his neighbour, to speech that is seasoned 
with salt, such as ministers grace to the hearer ! We 
are all well ; and my wife will endeavour to write for 
herself. You will remember me in your prayers, that 
I may be bold on the second of July, when I am to 
preach the Visitation sermon, that I may speak with 
Christian love to my brethren, and all meekness. I 
find too much of selfishness, and of a coward's heart, 

* The Rev. George Burnett, then Curate of Hudders- 
field; and afterwards Incumbent of Elland, in the parish of 
Halifax ; a man of sterling worth, eminent holiness, and 
greatly blessed in his ministry. 



78 DUTY OF MAN. ILLNESS OF MRS. VENN. 

lest I should be despised, and openly admonished. 
But I trust, when the hour of action is come, I shall 
find myself supported. My book* advances but 
slowly ; and I must in earnest so apply, that it may 
be finished by the beginning of next year. If, there- 
fore, my letters to my dear friend and benefactor 
should not, for the future, be so long, you will ascribe 
it to my engagements ; which, indeed, I must give up 
more of my time to than I have yet done. You will 
remember, that, as you have no book upon your 
hands, your paper is to be filled, though my epistles 
fall short of their usual length. I am now sitting to 
receive my dues, at Abraham Hall's, in Goldcar ; who 
is, I believe, a faithful disciple. With love from us 
all, to all Christian friends, and kind inquirers after 
us, I commend you to God, praying that His love 
may rest upon you, and those near and dear to you — 
that you may find God is all-sufficient — that with 
Him is the well of life : and may the streams of 
living water make you fruitful in every good word 
and work ! From your ever obliged and faithful 
pastor in Christ Jesus. H. Venn. 



TO MRS. KNIPE. 
DEAR MADAM, Huddersfield, Dec. 21, 1760. 

Though I cannot give you so pleasing an ac- 
count as I could wish of my dear wife, yet she is 
better than might have been expected. The fever has 
not yet quite left her, though it is much abated. As 
it is, it sounds an alarm through my heart, uncertain 
of the issue On what slender strings are our best 



* The Complete Duty of Man, 



SINS OF THE TONGUE. 



79 



earthly comforts fixed ! how soon burst in two, and we 
bereaved of them ! For my own part, I cannot con- 
ceive that any thing but the grossest stupidity, or a 
delight in God as our portion, can make the present 
state of things supportable. Can a man love his 
wife — can he love his child— in any measure as he 
ought, and not be afflicted, to think in what slippery 
places they are living ? Can he think of parting from 
either without convulsions, unless he can say, " Though 
Joseph is not, and Benjamin is not, yet God remaineth 
my exceeding joy !" 

I read of your growth in grace with the highest 
pleasure ; and no one stronger proof of it can you 
give, than watchfulness against evil-speaking. That 
is a remarkable scripture, " If any man offend not in 
word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to 
bridle the whole body." I am sure of two things, 
respecting myself and my own experience — that I 
have such a load of guilt on this account alone, that 
if there was not the blood of Christ for my propi- 
tiation, I must perish for ever ; and that in proportion 
as my unruly member, the tongue, is tamed, I enjoy 
the heart-reviving presence and peace of God. And 
no wonder it is so ; since, by speaking evil, though it 
is true, when no good purpose is immediately to be 
answered, the following hateful tempers are discovered 
to rule in the heart : 1. Want of regard to the high 
and loving authority of God, who has positively for- 
bidden it. 2. Want of brotherly love and charity ; 
which would be grieved for the offences we know any 
one living in the commission of. 3. Want of humi- 
lity in our hearts ; which would teach us that we are 
vile, too vile, ourselves, to complain of others, and 
dwell on their faults. 



80 DUTY OF MAN. MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 

I hope you see dear Mr. Walker as often as you 
can, now he is at Blackheath. I could wish Mr. 
Thornton was with him : he is one of the jewels 
which is highly polished before it is made up in 
heaven. Humbleness and spirituality of mind, with 
extraordinary degrees of wisdom and judgment, dis- 
tinguish him. 

If it were not for dear Mr. Adam's encouraging 
approbation, I should faint in my book ; but this, 
when I receive it, is a strong incentive to persevere. 
In a letter, a few days since, he writes me word that 
he had an opportunity of reading my two_ chapters, 
last sent to him, to Archdeacon Basset ; and the result 
was, an earnest desire to have them printed. I keep 
close to the work now ; and hope to bring up with me, 
if God continues to bless me with health, twelve chap- 
ters, out of fifteen. 

My love to my sister, to Mr. Thornton, and all my 
Christian friends : and may much of the power, pre- 
sence, and love of God in Christ J esus be your por- 
tion, and the earnest of your dwelling in light and 
glory with God for evermore ! So prays your affec- 
tionate and much obliged minister in Christ, 

H. Venn, 
Jan. 1761. 

1 continue, blessed be" God ! in good health ; 

and Mr. Burnett is much recovered. Our work in 
some degree prospers ; but many fall back, and grow 
lukewarm, that set out well. Those of our friends 
whom you knew, I trust gain ground, and are much 
more settled and strengthened. I have begun again 
my instruction of the young people at the villages : 



CHRISTENING OF ONE OF HIS CHILDREN. 81 

amongst them, there are about sixteen, between the 
ages of eighteen and twenty-two, of whom I hear an 
excellent account, and who answer with great discre- 
tion and spiritual understanding. Oh, my friend ! 
what want of benevolence and love to my fellow- 
creatures is there in my heart, that I am not impor- 
tunate without ceasing that all may come to the 
knowledge of Jesus Christ; — which is, heaven begun 
on earth ! My defects and failures of this kind would 
destroy me, if it were not that God justifieth freely, 
through the redemption that is in Jesus. 

H. V. 



TO MRS. KNIPE. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Huddersfield, Jan. 11, 1761. 

This new year was begun by us with the 
solemn dedication of our little babe to the service and 
blessing of the God of the Christians — Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost. Miss S. represented yourself ; and 
Mrs. Elmsall, Lady Lowther. Our day was spent in 
that communion with God for which we were re- 
deemed by the blood of Jesus, and to which we pray 
all our dear friends may more and more attain. God 
is exceeding gracious to my dear wife, and the dear 
babe, who thrives abundantly. 

Your account of Sir J ohn Barnard is very moving. 
It is remarkable, that he was once very much struck 
with, and seemed not to agree with me in, an obser- 
vation I made, one Thursday evening, to this effect ; — 
that if we were without chastening, whereof all are 
partakers, then are we bastards, and not sons ; that is, 
the God of Heaven and Earth neglects our education, 
and is provoked to overlook us, as men are wont to do 

G 



82 



SIR JOHN BARNARD. 



their base-born children. I had more than one or two 
conversations with him upon the subject ; and I sup- 
pose the continued prosperity he had met with, the 
honour and high esteem he was always held in, led 
him to conclude that he wanted this mark of a child 
of God. Since that time, you see, the cross has been 
his portion ; and a long season of increasing infirmities 
and pain, and all the exercises of patience attending a 
lingering but mortal malady, have been appointed to 
him. I shall be glad to hear of his dismission ; for, 
sure I am, my eyes have scarce beheld his fellow. 
Such constant circumspection and such deep humility, 
such unfeigned Christian love, expressing itself in a 
total abstinence from evil speaking, is rarely to be 
found, even amongst the faithful in Christ Jesus. 
Happy saint ! to be so near the glorious transformation. 
What a mighty and unspeakable change in a moment 
will he soon feel — from being burdened with a body 
full of weakness and disease, to enjoy the liberty of a 
pure spirit ; and, from being distracted in the contem- 
plation of his God by a failing memory and a weak- 
ened understanding, to hold high and inexpressible 
fellowship with the Father of Spirits, without end or 
interruption ! 

I rejoice that your dear brother visits him. It is 
better to go to the house of mourning than the house 
of mirth. There he may see what a miserable estate 
the admired senator, the renowned politician, would 
be reduced to, if he was not also the real Christian ! 
There he may see the preciousness of the Redeemer ; 
since he will hear, as I have done from the mouth of 
that singular man that it is not all his deeds of virtue, 
not all his public patriotism or private benevolence, 
which can afford him hope or joy, in the review, or in 



MR. THORNTON. 



83 



the prospect, of approaching eternity — nothing but the 
promises of God made to the humble believer on His 
dear Son, and ratified in His blood ! 

You rejoice me much with the news that Mr. Thorn- 
ton will pay me a visit here. May he find that God 
is with us of a truth, and the power of the Lord pre- 
sent to heal ! It rejoices my soul whenever I hear 
that any are brought to Christ, or built up more and 
more in Him : but to hear this of my friends and 
benefactors, is the highest pleasure I can receive from 
others on earth. 

Wakefield has been visited, though now not so much, 
with a fever, little better than a plague. It has .car- 
ried off, in six weeks, one hundred and sixty souls. 
It has alarmed the whole neighbourhood, and, I hope, 
will be made profitable to many souls. Lord, prepare 
us, that, if a fierce disease is to remove us, sudden 
death may be sudden glory ! 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 

TO MRS. KNIPE. 

MY DEAR FRIEND, Huddersfield, Feb. 4. 1762. 

You are not less frequently in my thoughts, though 
I have been but a dilatory correspondent of late, than 
when I was writing to you more frequently. This 
you know, that whilst a spark of grace or gratitude 
remains, you must have a high place in my regard, 
and a constant remembrance in my prayers. Great 
weakness and languor are the effects of my disorder ; 
and the longer it continues, the more I must expect 
it to be thus with me. There is one advantage I find, 
even in the obstinacy of the complaint, and its resist- 
ing the power of all remedies prescribed by the skilful 
g2 



84 



BENEFIT OF AFFLICTIONS. 



in medicine ; — it is, that I am by this means less in 
danger of trusting in creature-help ; and taught to 
look with a single eye to Him, who saith to His 
Church, "I am the Lord that healeth you," and to 
wait His will. It is a just homage required from me, 
a sinful creature, to be paid to the God of holiness and 
wisdom, of mercy and of grace. Our God exercises 
His most righteous dominion over our faculties, wills, 
and affections. He first requires the Christian to sa- 
crifice the overweening opinion he has of his own 
wisdom and reasoning to the majesty of His revealed 
Word, and to believe truths most cordially and stead- 
fastly, which infinitely surpass his power to conceive 
clearly. He next requires that the Christian should 
part with the beloved idol of his heart, and, instead of 
self-indulgence, crucify the flesh with the affections 
and lusts. After obedience is habitually performed in 
these two grand points, and we have done the will of 
God, then comes the last and necessary trial — the fur- 
nace of affliction : then He saith, " Ye have need of 
patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye 
might receive the promise." And it is to be observed, 
that as the two former submissions are preparatory to 
the last, so the last is exceedingly beneficial to the 
former, and perfective of them. None ever believe so 
humbly, and obey so fruitfully, as those who have 
suffered patiently. Let it therefore be your prayer, 
my dear friend, for me, (for I stand in need of it,) that 
I may with thankfulness endure the afflictive as well 
as receive the prosperous and pleasing dispensations ; 
and that my practice and deportment may be suitable 
to my light and knowledge, and the expectations of the 
Church of God concerning me. This I desire, not as 
if I despaired of any cure for my disease, but I would 



BENEFIT OF ORDINANCES. 



85 



desire to be ready, and prepared for all events. If I 
am not worse, I shall set out the week after Easter : 
and, perhaps, the journeying will be serviceable. 

We have still more cause to rejoice in our work. 
On Sunday last, our Sacrament was solemn and affect- 
ing. Our attention, previously to it, was fixed on 
Lam. i. 12 : it was considered as the most moving 
complaint of the Great Benefactor to ruined sinners. 
Our hymn was one of Dr. Watts's, of a piece with the 
subject ; and I trust many were admitted into the Lord^s 
" banque ting-house, and that His banner over them 
was love " ; that many of us " sat down under His 
shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet " 
unto us. I find, with regard to myself, that the benefit 
of Prayers, Sacraments, and the Means of Grace, bears 
exact proportion to the care I take to implore the in- 
fluence and operation of the Spirit in them ; that when 
I am only a little concerned in asking of the Lord the 
inestimable comfort of His help, my spiritual duties 
afford me little comfort in the exercise, and leave no 
lasting impressions. On the contrary, when I am im- 
portunate with the Lord to put life and power in the 
Ordinances, and to make me feel some correspondent 
affections, I am enabled to say, " Truly our fellowship 
is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ/' 

I am sorry to hear dear Mr. Jones is so ill. It is 
a hard matter to keep the exact medium — to be, 
in some resemblance of Elijah, very zealous for 
our God, and not exert ourselves beyond what the 
mortal body can bear ; or to be regardful of health, 
without degenerating into laziness. It is certainly the 
better extreme of the two, to spend and be spent, even 
to the shortening a little a short life at best, in such a 
manner as to refute lukewarmness by example, than to 



86 MR. JONES, OF ST. SAVIOUR^ SOUTHWARK. 

live a longer life in a manner not so visibly contrary 
to it. 

I pray our gracious Lord to have you and yours in 
His safe and holy protection, now and evermore ! 
From your much obliged pastor in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. KNIPE. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, H udder sfield, July 1762. 

The Sermon* you were so kind as to inclose, 
gave us a most pleasing account of Mr. Jones's death. 
Most comfortable and animating are such scenes! 
In them we see how true the Lord our Strength is, 
and that there is no unrighteousness in Him : we may 
see what manner of support and consolation He 
imparts in the dying hour; and that having loved 
His own which are in the world, He loveth them unto 
the end. Indeed, as the Apostles were a picture of 
the Church of Christ throughout all ages, we may 
certainly collect from them how tender and compas- 
sionate a Friend we shall find in our Saviour, when 
most we need His presence and love. During the 
time He was with them, He rebuked them often and 
sharply ; but when He was going to part with them, 
affection breathes in all his discourse. It is then no 
longer, " Where is your faith ? " " Why do ye not 
understand?" but, "My peace I leave with you; my 
peace I give unto you." " Let not your heart be 
troubled. I go to prepare a place for you; that 
where I am, there ye may be also." In the same 
gracious manner He now will and does manifest Him- 
self, to them that believe in Him, and have obtained 

* A Sermon by the Rev. W. Romaine, on the death of the Rev, T. 
Jones, Chaplain of St. Saviour's, Southwark, 



NEWSPAPER ATTACKS. 



87 



like precious faith with the Apostles. Let us not, 
then, be afraid to trust Him : let us, in confidence, 
resign our death to Him. In this respect, no less than 
with regard to the world, we are to be careful for 
nothing, but in every thing to cast our care upon God, 
knowing that He careth for us. 

Since you left us, I have been assaulted in the dark 
by two venomous papers — a letter, and a piece of 
poetry. The latter is directed to one of my hearers ; 
and supposed to be written by a believer, exhorting 
him ' to hold fast his faith ; which is so sure to save 
him, that, whatever he does, God will impute nothing 
to him : if he does but believe, he may cheat, oppress, 
lie — all is still well/ These are good proofs they 
have nothing of real guilt to lay to our charge ; and, 
whilst they blaspheme and revile, they give us a noble 
opportunity of shewing our faith by our works ; even 
by that work, so impossible to flesh and blood — bless- 
ing them that curse us, and loving those that hate us. 
Dear Mr. Burnett has met with the same bitter spirit ; 
and the only family that was a great encouragement 
to him is turned against him. But he can say of the 
Lord, " Thou art my refuge, my fortress, and my por- 
tion ; in Him will I trust/' I am sure, if our cause 
were no more invigorating than the religion we 
oppose is, no one could long continue to minister the 
Gospel. But it is the power of God unto salvation : 
it is righteousness, peace, and joy; and therefore 
worthy parting with all, for its own sake. May the 
fulness of the blessings of this Gospel be with you, in 
your new habitation ! 

From your much obliged friend and minister in 
Christ, H. Venn. 



88 VISIT TO MR. CONYERS, AT HELMSLEY. 

Sept. 8, 1762. 

1 lately paid a visit, in company with Mr. 

Madan, to Helmsley, and spent four days with our 
dear friend Mr. Conyers. Immediately upon his re- 
ceiving* us into his house, he broke out into a most 
fervent thanksgiving unto God, who had sent us to 
him ; as he had never before received under his roof a 
faithful Preacher of his dear Crucified Master. We 
had abundant edification from his discourse. Mr. 
Madan compares him with Mr. Hervey, in spirit and 
temper. I think he greatly surpasses even that ex- 
traordinary saint, in a peculiar talent for edifying the 
people ; though he is far inferior in point of learning. 
Mr. Conyers shines with an amazing lustre, from the 
bowels of mercy and love that dwell so richly in him 
towards every one, but much more towards his flock. 
As a nurse her children, so does he cherish them ; — as 
a father his sons, so does he exhort and warn and 
comfort them. In the greatest simplicity, he accosts 
them by the most endearing names, and the most 
loving appellations. In proof that I am not exagge- 
rating in this account, I assure you that Mr. Madan, 
myself, Mr. and Mrs. Elmsall, and Miss Hudson, were 
all of us melted into tears, and softened, in a most ex- 
traordinary manner. 

And now you will grieve with us, to hear that this 
our dear fellow-labourer has quite impaired his con- 
stitution by his excessive fatigues in preaching to 
different congregations, in his most extensive parish, 
twenty-one times each week. Many very bad sym- 
ptoms lead us to fear for his life. May what we have 
seen of him abide upon us ; and stir us up to be more 
zealous for our God ! By seeing what manner of 
grace He has to bestow upon them that diligently 



PASTORAL LETTERS. 



89 



seek him, may we never rest short, but covet earnestly 
the best gifts. 



It is worthy of remark, that, notwithstanding the great 
extent and extraordinary success of Mr. Venn's ministerial 
labours at Huddersfield, as recorded in the Memoir, his 
letters contain very little mention of the great good which he 
was the honoured instrument of effecting. The deep and 
genuine humility of his character, and the high standard 
which the love and example of Christ placed before him, led 
him rather to bewail his short-comings than to speak of his 
success. But, in another respect, his correspondence affords 
very striking confirmation of his ministerial zeal and faithful- 
ness : for many pastoral letters still remain, written to parti- 
cular members of his flock, during temporary absence from 
them, which testify how tenderly and vigilantly he watched, 
in private, over the spiritual progress of those who had 
derived benefit from his public ministry. I have selected 
the following eight letters, as specimens of this portion of his 
correspondence. 

The three first letters were written to Miss Hudson, who 
married, in 1768, the Rev. John Riland, then Curate of 
Huddersfield, and afterwards, successively, Minister of St. 
Mary's Birmingham, and Rector of Sutton Coldfield, War- 
wickshire. This lady was one of Mr. Venn's most valued 
and faithful friends and correspondents, as many of the sub- 
sequent letters will amply testify. 

Mr. Thomas Atkinson, to whom the two next- letters were 
addressed, had left Huddersfield for a few years, to reside in 
London ; and afterwards became an extensive manufacturer 
at Mold Green, near Huddersfield. He was a man of strong 
powers of mind, great decision of character, and large bene- 
volence of heart ; and exhibited, throughout all his transac- 
tions in life, the genuine influence of the Gospel of Christ. 



90 



THE DIFFICULTY 



TO MISS HUDSON. 

My dear Miss Hudson, Kippax, March 4, 1763. 

Since I left you, you have never been out of 
my thoughts. I remember you going out and coming 
in, rising up and lying down. I remember you, not 
barely as a friend, but as one of my flock, and of the 
seals of my ministry, now particularly needing all con- 
solation.* The only reason of my assuring you I do 
so, is, that you may judge from hence what manner of 
love the Father of all spirits must bear towards you : 
for if I, a corrupted creature, full of such selfish and 
base dispositions by nature as render me very unfeel- 
ing, can thus sympathize with you, what must be the 
bowels of mercy towards you in that God who has 
called you by His grace, adopted you for His own 
child, promised in all your afflictions to relieve you, 
and overrule them all for your greater good ? But 
your heart is ready to say, ' How can this be the case, 
when not only the hand of the Lord has smitten me 
so sharply, but, under the affliction I behave not as 
my conscience tells me I ought ? I glorify not God 
in the midst of the fires/ In answer to this objection, 
you are sufficiently taught to remember, that the love 
of God, as a reconciled Father, has ever been mani- 
fested most in the trials of His dear children. Behold 
J ob ! — a few days strip him of his substance, bereave 
him of all his children (of whose conversion there was 
but little hope), and he sees himself full of ulcers, so 
that he became loathsome to the wife of his bosom : 
yet this is the man, of all upon the face of the earth, 

* Miss Hudson had very recently lost a brother, two years older 
than herself; whose piety and affection were her chief earthly stay 
in the religious course upon which she had just entered. 



OF BEARING AFFLICTION ARIGHT. 91 

dear to God ; and, because he was so, afflicted in this 
very remarkable manner. Look upon Aaron, the 
priest of the Lord, distinguished above all the tribes 
of Israel (excepting Moses, his brother) — -in a moment 
he loses both his sons, consumed by the hot displea- 
sure of God ! And the time would fail [to reckon up 
the dear and most honoured saints of God, who had 
the bread of affliction, and the water of affliction, 
given them to drink. So that you have not the least 
shadow of reason to suspect that you are afflicted 
through any want of love or pity in the heart of God 
towards you ; but, on the contrary, knowing what He 
declares, to all the afflicted, in His Word, and especi- 
ally with respect to the household of faith, you have 
much cause to say, ' Of very faithfulness, as a part of 
the new, everlasting, ever-blessed covenant, into which 
I am brought by the blood of Jesus, God has been 
pleased to afflict me ! 3 

But you may grieve, not only for your great loss — 
a loss which no one can fully estimate who is not in 
your place ; but as much, possibly, to find your soul 
so much oppressed by it. In this case, consider also 
the example of some of the most eminent and ap- 
proved saints of God. When His hand pressed them 
sore, they expressed all the same sensibility of their 
heavy cross as you feel in your heart, for a season : 
they made their complaint, and felt the risings of cor- 
rupt nature, till, by prayer, divine succours were sup- 
plied from the Throne of Grace. The chastening was 
grievous to them, and in no sense, for the present, 
joyous ; though afterwards it yielded to them the 
peaceable fruits of righteousness, when they had been 
exercised thereby. In the Psalms, which contain an 
invaluable collection of the experience of God's saints 



92 DIFFICULTY TO BEAR AFFLICTION ARIGHT. 



in times of trouble, you will observe (and I beg you 
will now read them much) how they are vexed, and 
complain of themselves, because they find themselves 
so very unduly affected by their crosses. 4 Take away 
the rebuke that I am afraid of i. e. for my impatience, 
for my self-will, under correction ! for Thy judgments, 
Thy chastisements, are good/ Though, therefore, it 
argues much corruption, and is a great reason for 
humiliation and self-abhorrence, to find that, ignorant 
worms as we are, we have in us a disposition to blame 
the All- wise for His providence towards us ; that, 
hell-deserving sinners as we are, we can be prone to 
say, 6 My grief, if it was now weighed, is heavier than 
can be borne 3 ; yet this oppression is not to cast us 
down, as if we had not the faith of God's elect and 
dear children. 

Consider therefore, my dear friend, that neither is 
your trial any other than such as is common to the 
most beloved of God ; neither your manner of bearing 
it, though clouds and darkness for a season rest upon 
your mind, any thing unusual to the heirs of glory. May 
the blessed God, therefore, the Fountain of all conso- 
lation, watch over you whilst you are in the furnace 
of affliction, and make it mighty of operation, to purge 
away all your dross ! May His presence, grace, love, 
and power, enrich your heart so abundantly, that you 
may, though sorrowful, yet rejoice in the Lord, and 
magnify the God of your salvation ! My love to all 
your afflicted family. I daily remember them at the 
Throne of Grace. My wife, who is but poorly, joins 
with me in praying for your consolation, and in wish- 
ing you every blessing. I remain your sincere friend 
and minister, to serve your soul in all things, for 
Christ's sake, H. Venn. 



REASONS WHY GOD AFFLICTS HIS PEOPLE. 



93 



TO MISS HUDSON. 

My dear Miss Hudson, Kippax, March 7, 1763. 

In my last letter, I endeavoured to lay before you, 
as considerations peculiarly suited to your present 
distressed state, the manner in which a most gracious 
God has been used to deal with His most beloved 
children, and the manner also in which they expressed 
their feeling of His afflicting hand. I shall now point 
out some of those views and purposes for which be- 
lievers in Christ Jesus are often touched in the most 
sensible part, and much acquainted with grief. 

1st : The first reason is, to wean them from all ex- 
pectations of happiness from any other quarter than 
God himself. No words are strong enough to paint 
the proneness there is, in the very heirs of salvation, to 
set up resting-places here upon earth. And though 
they are delivered from the base and sordid love of 
money, or the poor gratifications which can be gleaned 
from the honours and pleasures of the world, still they 
are apt to make Christian friends and relations, idols ; 
and so the strength of their affections, which should 
centre and settle all in God, is by this means very 
much weakened and divided. Though we discern not 
this ourselves, nor suspect it, our Divine Physician 
fully sees the growth of the distemper ; and, in love, 
we are separated from our idols. Disappointments 
meet us at every turn : where we expected we should 
be particularly favoured with helps and advantages 
for godly living, we behold ourselves left destitute ; so 
that we have no more a place of refuge upon earth, 
no more a dear counsellor or friend who is as our own 
soul. By this means we are compelled, as Noah's 
dove was, by the wide watery waste, which did not 



94 



REASONS WHY GOD 



afford a single resting-place, to fly to the Ark, and to 
take shelter there. Our gracious Father, with a loving 
jealousy over us, thus secures our whole love to Him- 
self, and appears altogether glorious in our eyes ; as 
the fountain of living waters, when the cisterns are 
broken which we were hewing out for ourselves. 

2dly: It pleases God to afflict very heavily those 
who are his dear children by faith in Christ, that they 
may more value the choice they have made. When 
they see the most innocent, nay, the most laudable, 
satisfactions they could possibly propose to themselves 
from any creature-comfort, all shivered in pieces, as it 
were, in a moment, and water of gall spring up from 
that very person or thing from which they promised 
themselves abundance of joy ; in such a situation, how 
infinitely desirable a connexion with Jehovah, never to 
have an end — a union with Him, which is as far above 
all the changes of this mortal life as heaven is higher 
than the earth ! This must be apprehended as the 
chief of all blessings — a portion of itself sufficient. 
Then the so«Ls of the faithful are taught experimentally 
to say—" Vanity of vanities ! all is vanity," but Christ 
and His love ! " Lord, to whom shall we go ? " from 
whence expect refreshment and consolation, but from 
Thyself alone ? " All my fresh springs shall be in 
Thee!" 

3dly : The dear children of God are afflicted in the 
most sensible part, in answer to their own prayers. 
As our Redeemer said to Zebedee's children, " Ye 
know not what ye ask ! Are ye able to be baptized 
with the baptism that I am baptized with ? " so may 
it be said of all believers. They all pray that they 
may be delivered from every accursed thing, and be 
formed and fashioned according to the will of God in 



AFFLICTS HIS PEOPLE. 



95 



all things. This prayer they put up in the integrity of 
their souls. It is accepted of God ; and He answers 
it. He brings them into various troubles, that these 
may work in them patience, and patience experience, 
and experience hope. He thwarts their own will, 
where it most vehemently sought to be gratified ; and 
so, at length, moulds them into that self-denying spirit, 
which is the proper state of a sinner before a God infi- 
nitely wise and holy. 

4thly : The dear children of God are afflicted in 
the most sensible manner, that they may know more 
deeply the evil of sin. Of this evil we have, at best, 
but very slight conceptions. But when we feel the 
chastening and correction, knowing, at the same time, 
it is not the stroke of an enemy, nor the wound of a 
cruel one, but the very medicine to heal our disease ; 
then we are led to confess, that sin must be exceeding" 
sinful, since God never willingly grieves nor afflicts 
the children of men ; since He rebukes for sin, and 
scourges us for our offences ; that, being chastened of 
the Lord, we may not be condemned with the world ; 
that we may go on our way weeping for a season, and 
in heaviness, if need be, in order that we may return 
again with joy, and bring our sheaves with us. 

Lastly: All the dear children of God are some 
time or other grievously afflicted, that they may be 
conformed to the image of their Saviour. How sorely 
afflicted and distressed inwardly was your dear bro- 
ther, before he entered into glory ! And there is not 
a Scripture saint mentioned, but drank, in some de- 
gree, of the cup which Jesus drank of, and was bap- 
tized with His baptism of sufferings : so that, were 
any of the faithful to want chastening, it would be 
almost sufficient to bring their title to Christ in ques- 



96 REASONS WHY GOD AFFLICTS HIS PEOPLE. 

tion. The God of all grace help my dear friend to 
ponder these things in her heart, and make them of 
force, to support her mind from utterly fainting ! Be 
of good cheer ! for, though afflicted and distressed, 
remember, your warfare is accomplished, your iniquity 
is pardoned; you have received double for all your 
sins — in the abundance of the gift of grace, and of 
justification unto eternal life, by being brought into 
the bonds of the everlasting covenant. 

My dear wife remembers you in your affliction, as 
well as I do myself, daily, before the Throne of Grace. 

From your sincere friend and pastor in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS HUDSON. 

Kensington Gore, July 1, 1763. 

My dear Miss Hudson, 

Many thanks to you for your letter ! I had 
not forgotten you. Not a day passes, but I remember 
my flock, and you in particular, in the best manner I 
am able, before the Throne of Grace. Be of good 
cheer : let not either outward crosses or inward trials 
cast you down : for know, the Lord sitteth above the 
water-floods : there is nothing that can ever possibly 
befal them that have fled for refuge to the Redeemer ; 
but it shall work for good to them. However ap- 
pearances may be for a time, all the promises of God, 
and all the perfections of God, are engaged to succour 
and to save the weakest believer. Ponder, my dear 
Miss Hudson, that character of the child of God, in 
the 2d verse of the 91st Psalm, and I doubt not you 
will be enabled to perceive your own picture in it : 
I will say of the Lord, Thou art my refuge ; i. e. to 
Thee have I fled, an accused, self-condemned, ac- 



PARAPHRASE OF THE NINETY-FIRST PSALM. 97 

cursed creature — to Thee, as manifesting' Thyself in 
Christ Jesus, have I fled for salvation, from the Law, 
from sin, from my own corruptions ; and still Thou 
art all my refuge. Thou art my fortress : besieged 
by the world, by Satan, by my own mighty corruptions, 
I am kept and defended by Thee alone. Thou 
boldest me up, and I am safe : if Thou leavest me 
but a moment, I must fall into the hands of my ene- 
mies. Thou art my God. In all my former va- 
nities, and in all my former pleasures, I see sin, and I 
fly from them. I receive not my happiness, nor seek 
my portion, in the things of sense and time. Thou, 
O God ! art my delight : in Thy favour is life ; and 
in close communion with Thee, whenever I partake of 
it, is my highest enjoyment : my soul seeketh after 
Thee : when Thou art absent, and hidest Thyself from 
me, I am troubled. 

Such is the experience, and such the feelings, of the 
faithful in Christ J esus : and cannot you say, I am a 
witness, though weak and feeble, of this truth, and in 
this picture I behold my own experience ? Hear, 
then, how precious in the sight of the Lord thy soul 
is, and what a complete defence is encompassing Thee 
on every side ! 

"Surely" — it is not a per adventure, but an absolute 
certainty ; as such you are to receive it — in this confi- 
dence you are to use His promise, Surely the Lord 
shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler — from 
every subtle contrivance and malicious design of Sa- 
tan : none of his attempts to destroy thee shall succeed, 
but be overruled to thy greater good : — and from the 
noisome pestilence ; though the world is full of infec- 
tion and evil communication, which will corrupt good 
manners, abounds on all sides; though thy heart is 

H 



98 PARAPHRASE OF THE NINETY-FIRST PSALM, 



always of itself disposed to receive the infection, and 
thou may est think it almost an impossibility to dwell 
in the world, and not to be hurt in thy soul by it. — 
He shall deliver thee. He shall cover thee with His 
feathers ; like the hen, all alarmed and ever intent to 
protect her little brood, communicating warmth from 
her body to cherish them, and covering them from 
every evil she beholds ; so shall the Lord bring thy 
soul near to Him, and manifest Himself to thee, and 
make thee as sensible He is for thee, and nigh to 
comfort and protect, as the chickens are sensible they 
are under their mother's care. And under His wings 
shalt thou trust. He will give thee the power to be- 
lieve and depend upon Him. He will create in Thee 
more and more affiance, in spite of thy natural unbelief 
of heart. His truth, the word of His grace, the cove- 
nant established from everlasting, respecting all that 
are in Christ Jesus, this shall fight for thee, and pre- 
vail, like the shield and buckler which is turned every 
way by the soldier, when in battle, to ward off the 
sword from his body. So will the Lord be jealous 
for His truth ; and, lest one jot or tittle thereof should 
fail those that trust in him, He will, at all times, and 
in all places, defend and save unto the uttermost all 
His people. 

Let me entreat you to pray over this Scripture — 
pray to have it impressed, applied, and fulfilled in 
you. Make your complaint against yourself, that you 
cannot believe these weighty promises : and, in thus 
doing, by degrees the light of life will more and more 
manifest itself, and you will find God is all-sufficient. 

I am very happy in meeting with many in London 
who stand fast in the Lord, to whom He was pleased 
to make me an instrument of good. I preach gene- 



THE EVIL OF IGNORANCE. 



99 



rally three times every Sabbath. Oh ! pray lor me, 
that I may be supplied abundantly with matter, with 
sound speech, and with love to souls. 

Mrs. Knipe and my sister inquire with affection 
after you : they wish you much of the power, presence, 
and comfort of Christ. To Him I commend you, 
praying" He may strengthen you mightily, by His 
Spirit, in your inward man; and establish you, so 
that you may always triumph in Him, as your all-suffi- 
cient Redeemer. 

From your minister always to serve in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Huddersfield, Sept. 6, 1763. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord J esus 
Christ, for His great mercy, in opening your eyes, and 
undeceiving your foolish heart, which, through its 
natural pride, was darkened — darkened in the midst 
of religious duties and the profession of Christianity ! 
Great is the joy I feel on your account: and, as an 
older traveller in the same blessed path in which you 
are now walking, I will give you some counsel, pray- 
ing our gracious God to command His blessing on it. 

The first thing I would press upon you is, to beg 
of God more light. There is not a more false maxim 
than this, though common in almost every mouth, that 
4 men know enough, if they would but practise better/ 
God says, on the contrary, " My people are destroyed 
for lack of knowledge." And as, at first, men live in 
sin, easy and well pleased, because they know not 
what they do ; so, after they are alive and awake, they 
do little for God, or gain little victory over sin, through 
h 2 



100 WAY OF ATTAINING DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. 

the ignorance that is in them. They have no comfort, 
no establishment, no certainty that they are in the right 
path, even when they are going- to God, because the 
eyes of their understanding are so little enlightened to 
discern the things that make for their peace. Do you 
therefore, my dear Thomas, in all your prayers, call 
much upon God for Divine teaching. Insist much 
upon the very faint, dim perception you have of the 
things you already know. Tell God how little you 
see of the evil of sin ; how far you still are from feel- 
ing yourself always that corrupt, selfish creature, 
His word declares you indeed are. Tell the Saviour 
of that which was lost — what poor, low, unaffecting 
views you have of His work of obedience, though 
He was God manifest in the flesh ; — how seldom you 
can feel your heart happy in the persuasion that your 
sins were purged away by Himself, and that He now 
sitteth at the right hand of the Father till your enemies 
become His footstool, though all Scripture is written 
to assure you and every believer that this is the very 
truth. Tell Him how little you know of the excellency, 
strength, and unconquerableness of the Divine promises. 
By persevering in such confessions, and asking of the 
Lord such illumination, you will gradually be filled 
with all knowledge, and be made wise unto salvation ; 
especially if you make request, as you are always to 
do, for increasing light, only that you may glorify 
God in your life and conversation, as you are bound to 
do. I have one thing only to add more, which is, 
that you remember, if you are either impatient, or cast 
down under a sight of your great ignorance in spiri- 
tual things, the cause is pride and unbelief of heart : 
for why should we be impatient for instant deliverance 
from our ignorance, when we deserve most righteously 



i 



METHOD OF STUDYING THE BIBLE. 



101 



to be left in darkness for evermore ? or why should 
we be cast down in the view of our ignorance, when 
Christ promises that all who follow Him shall not 
abide in darkness, but have the light of life abiding- in 
them? 

I had purposed giving* you more directions for your 
comfortable walking with God; but I shall reserve 
these for some other epistle ; intending, God willing, 
to keep up a correspondence with you, as you really 
desire to know God, and be happy in Him. From 
your sincere and affectionate friend and servant in 
Christ J esus. H. Venn. 

TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON. 
DEAR SIR, Huddersfield, Aug. 10, 1764. 

You will be pleased to hear that the work of the 
Lord prospers exceedingly in many souls ; and we 
have lately had some happy and triumphant deaths, 
which are of great use, in the hands of God, to awaken, 
and to convince, and to animate, those who do already 
believe. 

Mr. Ball you have now with you. May you make 
good improvement of such a talent entrusted to your 
care ! He is one of those who are described, in God's 
word, as burning and shining lights : by their wisdom, 
and knowledge of the Truth, they point out the path 
of life : and by their love and zeal they warm our 
hearts, and stir us up to seek, as they do. 

I hope you read your Bible with much prayer. I 
can give you a never-failing receipt to make a com- 
plete Christian and an heir of Glory. You will find 
the medicine described in the 19th Psalm, 7 — 11 ; and 
the method of taking it, Prov. ii. 1 — 9. By the use 



102 



THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 



of this medicine and this method, you will as certainly 
improve, and grow in grace, as any sensible diligent 
boy ever got any knowledge at school. This is our 
condemnation ; and, alas ! this is the real cause of our 
being so weak in faith, so cold in our love, so confused 
in our notions ; — the Bible, and prayer over it for the 
true understanding of it, is not our exercise, our con- 
stant employment. Any other means of grace than 
this, which is yet the most profitable of all, is rather 
chosen. But, as it is written, the kingdom of Heaven 
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force ; so 
in nothing do we offer violence to our evil nature 
more than in studying God's holy word, and earnestly 
praying that the Divine truth it teaches may sink deep 
into our hearts, work mightily, and produce all those 
gracious effects for which it was of old written by 
inspiration of the Holy Ghost. 

My love to all my dear friends in Christ, who have 
all of them my daily prayers. 

From your very affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 

TO A LADY. 

DEAR MADAM, Huddersfield, Feb. 5,1764. 

To give instruction to any who are inquiring how 
they may live to the glory of their God and Saviour, 
is our professed business, as the ministers of Christ, 
and our greatest joy on earth. Let this, therefore, 
plead my excuse for the following lines : which I 
heartily wish may prove effectual, to increase in you 
every desire that is acceptable in the sight of God. 

I find, Madam, you are conscious of your ignorance 
in the things of God. For ever blessed be His name, 



DIVINE TEACHING. 



103 



that you are so ! The very first step to be wise, in 
any degree, to the good of the soul, is to lament our 
blindness, our stupidity, our brutishness, in knowledge. 
Your very lamenting this, is the grace of God working 
in a heart naturally too proud to stoop to any con- 
fession of ignorance at all. Be of good cheer, Madam, 
and encourage yourself in the promises of God. Read 
the 25th Psalm. There see, with your own eyes, that 
you have the word and honour of the God of Heaven 
and Earth; that He is good and gracious to teach 
sinners in the way ; that, them that are meek — ready 
to submit, and desirous of being taught, and willing to 
comply with all they know — He will guide in judg- 
ment; and such as are gentle, He will learn His way. 
Read the 32d Psalm, the last verses : there your God 
assures you He will inform and teach you the way in 
which you should go : He will guide you with his eye, 
protect your person, order your steps, just as you have 
done, with unspeakable pleasure, your dear little 
babes 5 , when they began to walk, and you were afraid 
of their dashing their foot against a stone. Read the 
72d Psalm — the whole speaks of Jesus: it is a public 
proclamation and call to all sinners who will hear it, 
that He will deliver the poor and needy when he crieth* 
and him that hath no helper ; He shall spare the poor 
and needy, and save the souls of the needy ; He shall 
redeem their souls from deceit and violence, and pre- 
cious shall their blood be in His sight. God help you 
to believe these blessed Scriptures ! they are written 
for your encouragement. You are burdened with your 
own corruptions : you are sore troubled sometimes, 
that you can be so cold, so dead : this is part of the 
battle you are called to fight, even to contend against 
a desperately wicked heart. Resist evil shame ; and 



104 



ON RESISTING EVIL SHAME. 



when God has given you light, never put it under a 
bushel, for fear of being nick-named, or talked over 
with a sneer. " They that confess me before men, will 
I confess before my Father;" and "they that are 
ashamed of me, of them will I be ashamed ; " are 
words left on record, to counteract our selfish and 
cowardly hearts. Christ will comfort the brave soldier 
that fights for Him, in opposition to self and the world ; 
and vouchsafe him new manifestations of glory. I wish 
you the enjoyment of great knowledge in the things of 
God, of great peace in the ways of God, and of a great 
reward in the kingdom of God. I wish God may be 
with your offspring, and early give them His grace, 
that they may be a seed to serve Him, and honourable 
witnesses for His Truth. I beg my respects to Mr. S. 
You may always command my pen, if I can be in the 
least degree of service to you. From your very 
humble servant and well-wisher, H. Venn. 

TO A YOUNG FRIEND. 

Huddersfield, Nov. 8, 1768. 
Several things, of late, have put me, my dear Sir, 
into apprehensions for your spiritual welfare ; particu- 
larly your absenting yourself from the Lord's Table on 
Sunday. I feel for your temptations, and pray for you. 
But turn not from the God of all grace : give not 
up the use of the means of grace, whatever may 
have been your falls, whatever are the accusations of 
your conscience, however strong and violent you feel 
your corruptions. It is the cruel suggestion of Satan, 
which tells you there is no help for you in your God 
— that so long as you have striven, and not yet got the 
mastery over your besetting sin, it is in vain to strive 
any longer: for in Christ Jesus there is plenteous 



REMONSTRANCE TO A BACKSLIDER. 



105 



redemption; and though he often suffers us to be 
wounded, and terribly too, yet He will heal, He will 
deliver the praying' soul, those that are bowed down 
with the weight and chains of their sin. If you, alas ! 
fall into wilful transgression, sad as the case is, do not 
make it worse, by rejecting the only possible remedy. 
If you are overcome of presumptuous wickedness, run 
to Jesus, with your wounds bleeding, your conscience 
accusing, and under all the aggravations of guilt 
which can possibly attend your fall. He has a heart 
to forgive all affronts put upon Him, all the most 
heinous provocations, and the most shocking injuries 
the devil can tempt poor sinners to commit. 

Will you then, my dear young man — in whom I 
have taken so much pleasure, as one devoting yourself 
in the flower of youth to Jesus — will you forsake 
Him ? When He is the person injured, and yet waits 
to be gracious, will you, the aggressor, be such a foe 
to yourself, as not to go to Him for pardon ? When 
He whom your righteousness cannot profit, promises to 
love you freely, and heal your backslidings, and be a 
covert to you from the wind of temptation, will you, 
who stand in absolute need of these mercies, keep 
away ? You will say, I cannot pray ; I am a hypo- 
crite : I cannot lament and weep for my sin : I feel 
a love to it, and a desire to commit it with gree- 
diness. Go to Jesus with this confession ; repeat it 
again and again, upon your knees, or as you walk 
about : not a soul, among the millions he has saved, 
but has been in this case : tell Him the worst you feel ; 
tell Him it is impossible for you to resist the devil, and 
your own desperately wicked heart, in any strength of 
your own. Present yourself before Him, as a poor 
destitute, as a perishing rebel — as one who, against 



106 



AFFECTIONATE REMONSTRANCE 



light and love, is engaging on the side of the enemies 
of the Lord. I have no doubt you will be recovered 
gloriously — that I, and all the Children of God, and 
your dear mother, shall praise His name for His deli- 
vering your captive soul out of the enemy's hand — if 
you will call upon Him. I have had, myself, many a 
sore and dreadful conflict, before the time of my re- 
demption came. You will even receive a blessing from 
all your falls : God will bring light out of darkness, 
and good out of this horrible evil, if you cry unto 
Him; for He will teach you, by it, what depths of 
wickedness are in your heart, how much you need a 
free and a full salvation to be given by sovereign 
grace ; and in a little time you will be able to say, I 
am a brand plucked out of the fire ; I am an enemy to 
God, saved only through His good pleasure. 

On the contrary, my dear fellow-sinner, put the 
case, that, uneasy, and galled with the sight and sense 
of your own provocations, you fly from Christ, you 
leave off receiving the Sacrament, reading God's 
word, and prayer. Alas ! I am ready to weep at the 
terrible consequences: sin and Satan must then 
necessarily prevail ; conscience will become a sharp 
accuser, and haunt you as a ghost ; you will expose 
the cause of Christ to shame and reproach amongst 
His enemies ; you will discourage the young people 
who have begun to run well ; you will contribute to 
keep in their revolt from God those who have, alas ! 
turned back to folly ; you will be ashamed of seeing 
your companions in the good ways of the Lord ; you 
will fear death, and be in a manner forced to fly for 
refuge — (ah ! how different a refuge from the loving 
J esus !) to those who are of a seared conscience and 
of the most profligate life, in order to drown convic- 



TO A BACKSLIDER. 



107 



tions ; — which yet you will never be able to do ; for 
this is one part of the righteous punishment imme- 
diately inflicted on those who forsake the Lord, after 
setting their hand to the plough ; they can never 
enjoy, as the unawakened, the pleasures of sin, poor 
and perishing as they are. And at home — what I 
almost tremble to think of, if you forsake the good 
path — into what shocking behaviour will you be 
betrayed ! The mother who bore you, who has prayed 
for you day and night, who with tears of joy spoke of 
you to me but a little before her late illness, will be 
an intolerable reproach to your guilty mind : this will 
excite in you peevishness and anger, and even hatred 
and malice, so as to grieve her by hard speeches, and 
embitter the life of one of the dearest children of 
God : for the same heart which inclines you to for- 
sake God, and the same enemy that urges you to 
leave off the use of the means of grace, will lead you 
on from bad to worse, till who can say what you will 
not be led to do ! 

Oh, my dear Sir ! the Lord give you understanding 
to ponder these things — to read what I have offered 
in the same spirit of love which made me write it ; 
and in prayer to God for a blessing upon this endea- 
vour of your minister, who watches for your soul as 
one that must give an account. I should esteem 
myself obliged to you if you would come and con- 
verse with me for an hour. I trust God would make 
it a means of grace to your soul. I am, in much 
affection, your servant for Christ's sake. 

H. Venn. 

It pleased God to bless this letter, to the recovery and 
establishment of the young man. 



108 



MINISTERIAL VISITS. 



TO A FRIEND. 

DEAR SIR, Huddersfield) Sept. 22, 1766. 

Your letter, which I received this day, T imme- 
diately answer ; because I know you will much re- 
joice to hear that I think the state of your dear sister's 
mind is still very promising 1 . I see her very fre- 
quently ; and desire to do so, whilst she is going* on. 
What you mention, of my having left off to go 
to . . . . , is true. But I act, I judge, entirely ac- 
cording to my Master's will, in giving myself to read- 
ing, to doctrine, to meditation, and, as my strength 
(which is but small) will bear, to visiting the sick. 
Where there is a taste and enjoyment of the things of 
God, I go oftener; but when one person only is to 
speak, and no answer comes from the company, to 
prove how pleasing the great topic of discourse is, I 
plainly see it my duty not to visit. For ministers of 
the Gospel have another and better employment of 
their time than to wait and watch for any particular 
family, in order to say something that God may please 
to bless. When I come into the pulpit, it is after 
study, prayers, and cries for the people : I speak as 
plainly, and enter into all the cases of the congrega- 
tion as minutely, as I am able. If, after this, there is 
a love for the Truth, all my hearers know what 
delight it is to me to converse with them, and exhort 
them in private. I do not wonder, my dear Sir, that 
you feel what you do. Blessed be God for it ! The 
prayers of a son or a daughter have been, and are 
constantly, the means of blessing to the whole family. 
May it be so with yours ! 

I am glad you tire not in the way. Pray for in- 
creasing discoveries of the evil of your heart, and of 



SELF-ABASEMENT A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS. 109 

the glorious salvation established in the Covenant of 
grace. Strange as it sounds, and worse than non- 
sense, in the ears of a carnal man, yet it is most true, 
that the happiness of man consists in his humbling 
views of his own sinfulness ; and he enjoys the pre- 
sence and the love of God deeply in his heart, only in 
proportion as he feels himself deserving of hell. 

My love to all your dear society. May the dew of 
Heaven be upon you ! May your growth in grace 
be like that of the willows by the water-courses, and 
every one of you be transplanted to flourish for ever 
in the courts of the Lord's House ! 

From your sincere friend, 

H. Venn. 



The next letter will display, in a signal degree, a distin- 
guishing feature in Mr. Venn's character ; namely, his supe- 
riority to all worldly considerations, where he judged the 
honour of Religion to be concerned ; and his determination 
to avoid all appearance of the evil of making a gain of godli- 
ness. He had recently formed an intimate friendship with 
an elderly widow-lady of fortune : she had, in the first 
instance, applied to him under distress of mind, and, obtain- 
ing relief from his advice, became a frequent inmate in his 
family, and a great admirer of his preaching ; and was there- 
fore regarded by others as entirely under his influence. This 
lady inserted in her will a considerable legacy in favour of 
her new friend : she had no near relations, who had any 
claims upon her : and Mr. Venn, in the event of his death, 
would have left his family almost destitute. Yet, as soon as 
he heard of her intention, he sent her the following letter. 



110 mr. Venn's refusal of a legacy. 



TO A LADY. 

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Huddersfield, Oct. 28, 1764. 

I understand, by my wife, your most kind and 
generous intention towards us in your will. The 
legacy would be exceedingly acceptable ; and I can 
assure you the person from whom it would come 
would greatly enhance the benefit. I love my sweet 
children as much as is lawful; and, as I know it 
would give you pleasure to administer to the comfort 
of me and mine, I should with greater joy accept of 
your liberality. But an insurmountable bar stands in 
the way — the love of Him to whom we are both 
indebted, not for a transient benefit, for silver or gold, 
but for an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and 
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us. His 
honour, His cause, is, and must be, dearer to His peo- 
ple, than wife, children, or life itself. It is the firm 
resolve of His saints, " Yea doubtless, and I count all 
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ J esus my Lord." To be therefore a stumbling- 
block in the way of any that are seeking after Him — 
to give the least countenance to any that would be 
glad to bring His followers into contempt, and to call 
in question their sincere and disinterested attachment 
to Him — would grieve me whilst in health, darken 
my mind in sickness, and load me with self-con- 
demnation upon my bed of death. How it would 
also render all my exhortations feeble, and make them 
accounted only pulpit declamations, if, when I was 
pressing that solemn truth upon my people, " Love 
not the world, neither the things in the world/' they 
could say, " Our minister, however, was careful to 
secure the favour of his rich proselyte, and at length 



mr. Venn's refusal of a legacy. Ill 

to gain sufficiently by her" ! After the most mature 
deliberation, therefore, it is our request, which we 
cannot permit you to refuse us, that you will not 
leave us any other token of your regard than some- 
thing of little value more than it derives from the 
giver. If it should please God that our connexion 
should be prolonged some years, we shall in our 
hearts still more abundantly enjoy your friendship, 
when we are sure that we are in no danger of being 
influenced by a regard to our own interest. And if 
we must soon have the cutting affliction of losing you, 
you may depend on it we shall not less affectionately 
make mention of your name, or call to remembrance 
your unfeigned love for us both, in Christ J esus, than 
if we had what the world esteems the only substantial 
proof of your regard. As for our children, whom 
many will think we have not the love for which we 
owe them, by refusing your great favour, I would say 
only this — we both know of no inheritance equal to 
the blessing of God ; and the certain way of securing 
it, as far as means can avail, is, to be found ready to 
lose or suffer any thing, sooner than to incur the 
appearance of eviL 

Wishing you much strength in your soul under 
your great weakness of body, and the abundance of 
the revelation of peace and truth amidst your fiery 
trials, I conclude myself your most indebted and 
affectionate friend and pastor in Christ, 

H. Venn. 



The lady to whom this letter was written was too well 
convinced of the sincerity of Mr. Venn's character, and the 
sacredness of his motives, to evade compliance with his 



112 



ACCOUNT OF A TOUR. 



request ; and therefore altered her will, and bequeathed a 
favourite watch, instead of the original pecuniary legacy. 
She died soon afterwards. 



TO MISS WHELER. 

Berwick, Shropshire, Nov. 1766. 

So sudden was my setting out on this tour, with 
Sir Charles Hotham, that I was prevented coming', 
dear Madam, to see my sick friends (friends in the 
love of Immanuel) at Kippax. My weak state of 
lungs, which I still labour under, inclined me to 
comply with dear Sir Charles's request. But I knew 
not what good things God my Saviour designed in 
this journey to give unto my soul. 

At Brighton, I was fired and encouraged by the 
example of Lady Huntingdon, and dear Mr. Fletcher, 
who were there. 

At , I was desired by Mr. (who 

concluded positively that nothing spiritual could have 
the least connexion with such a countenance as 
mine) t to give him a sermon ; which I did, in the 
afternoon: but, so far from thanking me for the 
favour, he went away the moment the service was 

* Miss Wheler lived with her sister, Mrs. Medhurst, at Kippax, 
near Leeds, They were nieces of the Countess of Huntingdon. 

■f Mr. Venn alludes to the following circumstance : — The clergy- 
man who thus offered his pulpit to a stranger, being afterwards 
rallied by his friends for his incautious offer, replied to this effect : 
" Who would have thought that such a cheerful, open countenance, as 
his, could have any connexion with Methodism V — This sermon was 
the means of awakening two persons in the congregation to a serious 
sense of religion, who became from that time intimate and valuable 
friends of Mr. Venn. 



INCAUTIOUS OFFER OF A PULPIT. 113 

ended : and I never saw him afterwards ; though he 
told me, as we were walking to church, that he 
would, after service, take me to drink tea in the 
Rooms. But I trust the hand of the Lord was in the 
matter, and some of his children were to receive a benefit. 

We next came to Mr. Townsend's, at Pewsey. 
That dear minister has a single eye and a warm 
heart. Three young students are in his house, in 
order to prepare for the ministry. Here I spoke the 
word of life to a small church-full, and to a large 
room-full afterwards ; and though the sphere of 
action in his parish is small, yet round about there 
are a great number of souls awakened, and some who 
know the Lord to be their God. 

Our next stage was to Bath, where we heard Mr. 
Romaine preach, in that most plain but elegant chapel 
of Lady Huntingdon. He was very well attended on 
the week-days ; but on Sundays the chapel is crowded. 
My kind friend Miss Gideon I had both the pleasure 
and the grief of seeing with Mr. and Mrs. Romaine ; — 
the pleasure, because she triumphs in the blood of the 
Cross, and is indeed an ornament to her Christian 
faith ; but it was a grief to see her labouring under a 
complication of diseases, and one, among these, the 
dropsy ; so that Dr. Moisey told me he apprehended 
there was great danger of her being soon called hence. 
Yet, which of her friends can coolly wish her to stay ? 
as not only a most infirm, afflicted body prevents the 
full exercise of her mental powers ; but, even in our 
best estate of body here, how poor, how sinful is the 
soul ! We cannot possibly be like Jesus, till we see 
Him as He is. 

From Bath, through Bristol and Gloucester, we 
arrived at Trevecka, in Wales. Howell Harris is the 
i 



114 TREVECKA. HOWELL HARRIS. MR. LEE. 

father of that settlement, and the founder. After 
labouring for fifteen years, more violently than any of 
the servants of Christ, in this revival, he was so hurt 
in body as to be confined to his own house for seven 
years. Upon the beginning of this confinement, first 
one, and then another, whom the Lord had converted 
under His word, to the number of near a hundred, 
came and desired to live with him, and that they would 
work and get their bread. By this means, near one 
hundred and twenty, men, women, and children, from 
very distant parts of Wales, came and fixed their tents 
at Trevecka. We were there three days, and heard 
their experience, which they spoke in Welch to Mr. 
Harris, and he interpreted to us. Of all the people I 
ever saw, this society seems to be the most advanced 
in grace. They speak as men and women who feel 
themselves every moment worthy of eternal punish- 
ment, and infinitely base ; and yet, at the same time, 
have such certainty of salvation through the second 
man, the Lord from heaven, as is indeed delightful 
to behold. My heart received a blessing from them 
and their pastor, which will abide with me. 

From Trevecka we came to Berwick, just before 
Mrs. Powys received your very kind letter ; for which 
she heartily thanks you, and desires me to tell you, she 
will herself soon answer it. Here I have had great 
delight in a Mr. Lee, a gentleman of fortune, above 
forty years of age, and a man of uncommon parts. 
He is much impressed with a sense of his own abso- 
lutely sinful nature, and that nothing but the blood 
of Christ can seal his peace ; the evidence of which he 
is seeking after, with much earnestness. 

I have met also with a Mr. Fawcet, a Dissenting 
minister at Kidderminster. He read to me one of the 



MR. FAWCET. A LEGAL HEART. 



115 



most delightful accounts I ever heard, of the pouring 
out of the Spirit in America, from Long- Island to the 
very neighbourhood of New- J ersey ; and that, under 
one sermon of Dr. Findlay, President of that college, 
near fourscore students in divinity were wrought upon 
in so wonderful a manner, that there is reason to be- 
lieve the greatest part are savingly called. " Ride on 
Thou Most Mighty, according to Thy worship and 
renown " \ 

I beg my most kind respects to dear Mrs. Medhurst. 
I trust the Lord will stand by her in the hour of diffi- 
culty, and grant the desire of your heart. Pray for 
me, that I may be fully satisfied to be silent whilst I 
live, if the Lord is pleased so to appoint. When I can 
speak only once a week, and not even that without 
suffering from it, soon my legal heart begins to repine, 
and suggest, " What do you more than others ? Is 
not your life an idle and slothful one ? " Oh ! that 
Jesus, to whom I am joined, would put an end to that 
legality, which tends to darken His glory, love, and 
salvation ! — I conclude myself your very sincere and 
obliged friend, H. Venn. 



Among Mr. Venn's Correspondents about this period, was 
a widow-lady of fortune, residing in London, whose friends 
were generally of a worldly character, and opposed to her 
strict profession of religion. She had also a son just entering 
life, of independent fortune, who was, unhappily, averse to 
the religious views of his mother. The following extracts 
occur in letters written to this lady. 



116 



ADVICE TO A LADY, 



The account you give of your reception at R , 

and the shyness of former acquaintances, do not sur- 
prise me. If you read carefully the 119th Psalm, you 
will see David was regarded with coolness and 
estrangement, as well as heartily abused, for his strict 
piety. You will be unspeakably a gainer by this. 
You will be much more at leisure to dig in the golden 
mines of Scripture, and meditate thereon, to your great 
and endless comfort. 

I have often thought, that in the day when the 
eternal state of man is to be determined, the greater 
part of those that are lost will perish, not through any 
gross and scandalous iniquity, but through a deadness 
to God and His love, an ignorance of their own sin- 
fulness, and, in consequence of that, through reigning 
pride and self-sufficiency. Now, the one great source 
of all these miserable disorders, or that at least by 
which they are maintained and strengthened, is keeping 
much company with those whom the Scripture marks 
out as engaged in talk without sense — company, not 
with near relations or chosen friends ; not with those 
for whom we have any real or sincere regard ; but 
with those who come to see us, and we go to see them, 
only because the Providence of God has brought us 
into one town. It is this that devours infinitely pre- 
cious time, and engages us in mere trifling, when we 
otherwise should be drawing nigh to God, and growing 
rich in Divine knowledge and grace. And such slaves 
are we naturally to the love of esteem, so eagerly 
desirous of having every one's good word, that we are 
content to go on in the circle of fashionable folly, 
whilst our hearts condemn us, and a secret voice, as it 
were, whispers within, " This manner of spending time 
can never be right." How gracious, therefore, is the 



WITH REFERENCE TO WORLDLY RELATIVES. 117 

constitution of things, that, what we are too much in 
love with the world to do for ourselves, the world 
should do for us ; and be so kind as to lead the way 
in a separation so salutary to our souls ! The time of 
persecution, it has been universally agreed, has been 
a time in which the faithful in Christ Jesus have 
always flourished most; for this reason — a thousand 
hurtful connexions with common acquaintances were 
then broken off ; and the condition of the Christian 
obliged him to be much with his God, and most 
wisely employing his precious hours. 

With regard to your son, you certainly judge 

right not to restrain him from balls, cards, &c. ; since 

a mother will never be judged, by a son at Mr. "s 

age, capable of determining for him; and perhaps, 
after your most strict injunctions to have done with 
such sinful vanities, he would be tempted even to 
violate your authority. The duty you are called of 
God to exercise now, is, bearing the Cross, borne at 
different times, and in different measures, by all the 
disciples of a Crucified Saviour. True, it is painful 
to see one's dear child a lover of pleasure more than 
of God — painful to see a young creature, born for 
communion with God and acquaintance with heavenly 
joys, wedded to trivial gratifications, and the objects 
of sense alone. But such were we ! God prevented 
us with His goodness, and sounded an alarm in our 
souls, or we had been such to this hour ! He expects, 
then, that your experience should teach you to wait 
with patience, till mercy — divine and astonishing 
mercy — apprehend him also. He expects, then, that 
after your continual presenting him every day, as the 



118 A PIOUS MOTHER'S TREATMENT 

distressed father did his paralytic son, " Lord, have 
compassion, and help us ! 13 you should tarry the Lord's 
leisure, be strong, and comfort your heart, in hope 
that the day will yet come, when, for your dear and 
tenderly-beloved son, it shall be sounded in the pre- 
sence of the Living God, and to the additional trans- 
port of angels in glory, " He was dead, and is alive 
again — was lost, and is found ! " 

As opportunity offers, you will be ready to represent 
religion, not as duty, so much as the best pleasure ; 
which, wherever it is in reality, rejoices the heart 
more than wine, and renders tasteless, in comparison 
of itself, the whole circle of vain amusements. When 
you have done this — and, by your own meek, humble, 
self-denying spirit, exhibited before his eyes the power 
of godliness — you have done all that possibly lieth in 
you : and, with acquiescence in God's good pleasure, 
you are to lie at the door of mercy for your poor son. 

There is one thing more, perhaps, that should not 
be forgot. It is what I purpose doing for my own 
children, with great seriousness ; taking proper times 
for it. I would advise you, in the most solemn man- 
ner, to write a letter, explaining to your son what you 
mean by real religion, as it is set forth in God's word ; 
the fears and sorrows you have felt, to see him desti- 
tute of it ; and conclude with earnest entreaties that 
he would lay this matter to heart, as ever he hopes to 
be able to stand with you before the Throne of God. 
This letter I would have you seal up, and write upon 

it, "To be delivered to Mr. , as soon as I am 

dead." Such an awful call is the most forcible thing- 
we can do for our dear unbelieving relations. It is 
what I design for all my own, if I depart before them. 
You see I speak to you about death, without any fear 



OF A WORLDLY SON. 



119 



of startling you, even about your own death : and 
though I feel, should that event come to pass before I 
am taken hence, that it would be one of the bitterest 
days I ever saw, yet I think it profitable, both for our- 
selves and our friends, frequently to anticipate such 
affecting changes. 

As to the Sacrament, it is a point of more difficulty. 
There is a good deal to be said for his receiving it, on 
account of the preparation he would use, which might 
prove a season of awakening : and much, on the other 
hand, against it, as it greatly sears the conscience to 
be trifling- with and mocking: God in such a solemn 
ordinance. Suppose, therefore, you were to lay before 
him the danger of receiving it in a careless spirit ; and 
then, as he is of age to judge for himself, let him act 
as he chooses. 

From the whole, you see you are to learn two most 
important lessons, from the painful situation you re- 
main in with respect to your son. The one is, your 
own weakness and inability to give a single ray of 
light, or excite the faintest conviction of sin, or com- 
municate the least particle of spiritual good, to one 
who is dearer to you than life. How ought this to 
take away every proud thought of our own sufficiency, 
and keep us earnest, importunate supplicants, at the 
door of Almighty mercy and free grace ! The other 
lesson is, that your own conversion, and reception of 
the Lord J esus Christ as your portion and righteous 
ness, ought to be marvellous in your eyes. You have 
many kind thoughts and the highest esteem possible 
for me ; for which I desire to retain a due sense upon 
my mind ; but you know I was merely a voice, which 
said, " Behold the Lamb of God ! " The desire and 
ability to do so, and that blessed peace you enjoy in 



120 FALSE PROFESSORS OF RELIGION. 

consequence of your faith in Jesus, was the operation 
of God ; for " who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but 
ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave 
to every man ? " All possible adoration and praise, 
then, be to God, for His unspeakable gift ! 

You must take care, dear Madam, that you are not 
hurt in your own soul by the hypocrisy and evil tem- 
pers of great professors in religion. It had like to 
have proved my eternal ruin, when I was first ac- 
quainted, with the religious world ; and is daily the 
cause why many stumble and fall. For contempt of 
godliness is excited by the deeeitfulness and wicked- 
ness of those who are accounted godly. Yet it ought 
not to offend us against religion : for it confirms the 
truth of the Bible, which speaks of self-deceivers, of 
false professors, of men that have the form of godliness, 
and deny the power of it. Why, therefore, should I 
be staggered, when I see all these things come to 
pass ? It is designed to make us cease from man, to 
compel us to walk in close communion with God, and 
hold us fast by Him. Further, it is designed to stir 
us up to be jealous over ourselves with a godly 
jealousy, lest we be found in a delusion, and, with 
much of religion and of Jesus in our mouths, be 
strangers to His spirit, life, and nature. 

A further use you may make of the sad discovery, 
that many have zeal to profess whilst they are nothing, 
is, to restrain you from many religious acquaintances. 
This I am, by experience, convinced is hurtful to our 
souls, in two ways. First, it accustoms us to prate 
about religion in a general way, and about the cha- 
racters of those who profess it ; because we think we 
must talk of religion, though far better laid aside than 
so used. Secondly, it robs us of precious time, and 



EVIL TENDENCY OF HUME'S ESSAYS. 121 

that private communion with God, in prayer and read- 
ing His holy word, for which conversing with all the 
saints in heaven, would they give us their company, 
can never make up. 

With what afflicting thoughts have I again 

and again pondered on the sad news you sent me, of 

Mr. Hume's Essays being recommended for 's 

reading. This is the most effectual method of 
rendering his conversion a double miracle of God's 
grace. I have read the author, and know what his 
horrid diabolical principles lead to. Alas ! is not the 
state of man in this world full enough of disappoint- 
ment, vexation, and various wretchedness, but he 
must be made completely miserable, by having all 
prospect of a better condition taken from him, and all 
hope of future happiness destroyed? Were Mr. 
Hume's scheme true, it were the highest cruelty to 
have it generally received. What refuge would the 
needy and oppressed have then to flee unto ? Where 
could the widow, the orphan, the soul divided from a 
friend dear as life, then look for consolation ? In 
short, think what this earth would be, were the sun 
no more to dispense its light and heat! — -just such 
would be the world of mankind, were it generally 
believed there was no God, who would judge it in 
righteousness ; no heaven for them who love his name. 
But such men and such writings are sent amongst us 
as a severe judgment, in the high displeasure of our 
God, for loving darkness rather than light ; and for 
an empty, formal, hypocritical profession of the faith 
of our dear Lord, when its power and blessings are 
set at nought. Give such an impious book as Hume's 



122 



EVIL TENDENCY OF HUME J S ESSAYS. 



into the hands of a real and experienced Christian, 
and he will be no more affected with his deceitful 
arguments than a man of covetousness is moved, by the 
cries of the poor, to sell all he has and give it to them. 
What shall I gain by receiving this man's notions ? 
Nothing; only the sad knowledge that I am a beast, and 
to perish like one, perhaps, to-morrow. Oh ! what a 
loss is this to a soul entitled to the true riches ! How 
does this base opinion impoverish and bankrupt the 
man whose hope is full of glory and honour and 
immortality ! 



Mention has been already made, in the Memoir, of the 
recovery of Mr. Kershaw, of Halifax, from the Socinian 
error, by a sermon which he heard in Huddersfield Church, 
when he had gone there with the purpose of turning what he 
heard into ridicule. The following letter was written to him 
upon this event. 



TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 

Bath, April 2, 1767. 
I feel myself very much indebted to you, dear 
Sir, for your favour, which I received yesterday. It 
brought tears of thankfulness and joy into my eyes, 
and at the same time humbled me to the dust. To 
hear the goodness of the Lord bestowed upon you, in 
the midst of your career of scepticism, and of your 
being called out of that rational religion (as it is 
boastingly named) which is the most opposite to vital 
and saving knowledge, excited my gratitude and 
praise to God. And your very affectionate acknow- 
ledgments to me, as used by the Lord J esus to be an 



THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE DESCRIBED. 123 

instrument in your happiness, could not but make me 
sink down in shame ; folly persuaded what I am, and 
what I deserve. Indeed, Sir, this is my joy — this is 
the thing that I long for — to see my Saviour's arm 
prevail — to see the poor, deluded, wretched mind of 
man brought to solid, rational peace — brought to the 
knowledge of an all-sufficient Friend, an Almighty 
Helper; and so to a present enjoyment, the earnest 
and pledge of heavenly felicity. 

The world charges us with enthusiasm: but "we 
speak that we do know 5 '; we "testify that we have 
seen." Had we not received the benefit ourselves, we 
should have little appetite to be set in the pillory, and 
be bespattered, as we know we are sure to be, for 
preaching that Name which man abhors ; because in 
that Name the glory of God, in all His infinite perfec- 
tions, is displayed. They call us "mad"; but God 
distinguishes all the world of unawakened sinners by 
that very appellation. " Madness," he says, " is in 
their heart." " When he came to himself, he said, I 
will arise, &c" The truth is, were not the life of a 
Christian, in its form as well as in its principles, 
mysterious and despicable to all who are not Chris- 
tians indeed, the Bible must be a book of falsehood ; 
because it always describes this life to be a very 
singular, strange, and absurd one, in the eyes of men. 
But with what great injustice does it appear such ? 
The life of a Christian is a life of pleasing admiration 
of the wonderful love of an Incarnate God, to misera- 
ble, hell-deserving criminals ; a life of confidence in 
His unutterable, all-sufficient friendship ; a life of 
actual enjoyment of His pardoning grace, by which 
sinful lusting after other things is quenched, and a 
sweet moderation in the use and fruition of every 



124 



DESCRIPTION OF 



creature- comfort becomes the stated temper of the 
heart. The life of a Christian is a life of increasing 
attainments in a science which is all practical, all 
transforming ; which at once humbles and exalts ; 
gives God the full honour of His sovereignty, jealousy, 
holiness, and justice upon the despisers of His Majesty ; 
yet gives also the sinner the full comfort and triumph 
that God's mercy, goodness, and grace can inspire. 
The Christian's life is a life spent in a holy contention 
against sin, as vile, detestable, devilish ; but, engaged 
in obedience, inward, spiritual and universal, as well 
as outward obedience, flowing from the knowledge of 
Christ and the love of Christ, in kind the very same as 
that which saints in glory offer up; — they without 
spot ; whilst the Christian is here imperfect still, and 
polluted. A Christian life is habitually employed in 
contemplation, and in discourse, on the grandest sub- 
ject the mind shall ever, through all eternity, be con- 
versant with — the power, the glory, the mightiness of 
the Kingdom of God, is the subject, ever charming 
and new. The Christian life is a life inoffensive, in 
the tenor of it, to all around ; not only inoffensive, but 
useful and beneficial : it is the life of a mild and 
loving husband or wife; of a meek, compassionate 
master ; of a dutiful, obedient child ; of a faithful, 
honest servant; of a valuable, trusty friend; of a 
benevolent, compassionate member of society; of a 
companion, whose conversation is so far from being 
impure and frivolous, that it is instructive, animating, 
and pleasing to every creature that is alive to the feel- 
ings of eternity. The Christian life is a life of very 
frequent delight in devotional exercises ; yet, after all, 
a life of self-abasement and self-lothing for defile- 
ment, for irregularity of desire or temper, in any 



THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE. 



125 



degree : this prevails, and crowns the excellency of 
the whole. 

Now, my dear friend, if this life is madness, what is 
a life of reason ? If any thing more than this is charged 
upon us as our practice and doctrine, it is absolutely 
groundless. If any other principles than the experi- 
mental knowledge of our fall, the nature and end of 
the Law, the Godhead of Christ, justification by faith 
only, the Spirit's influence, and fellowship such as the 
Apostles had with our Saviour — if any other principles 
than these exploded and despised ones can produce 
such a life, I will embrace them. If all other systems 
can do nothing of this kind, neither make men holy 
nor happy — down with them — down with them, even 
to the ground ! 

I cannot express the pleasure I feel at your being 
now willing to be vile and reproached for Jesus — in 
your being made willing to appear " a fool," for His 
sake, whom the world derided to His face, and then 
murdered as a liar and a blasphemer. Let others 
send their congratulations, when estates are left, and 
riches increase — the glittering bane of man : I bless 
my God and Saviour that I can salute you, as entered 
into the fold of Christ, to be taught, and defended, and 
strengthened, and comforted, all your days on earth ; 
and then, face to face, to behold your Benefactor 
with gratitude exquisitely delicious, and see His per- 
son, and feel His love — beyond all imagination glo- 
rious ! 

I have been enabled to speak of our J esus here, to 
the astonishment of the rich and noble. They have 
behaved with remarkable attention ; and, by the num- 
bers increasing, I trust the Lord will make himself 
known by this " foolishness of preaching," as He did 



126 



MRS. VENN'S LAST ILLNESS. 



of old. God willing, I set my face towards Yorkshire 
on Monday. May I see you, to our mutual edification ! 
From your affectionate friend, 

and servant in the Gospel, 

H. Venn. 



In August 1767, Mrs. Venn was seized with an alarming 
illness, which, in the course of a fortnight, terminated in her 
death. Mr. Venn was at a distance from home when he 
received the first intelligence of her danger. The following 
letter from Mrs. Venn will afford an affecting and pleasing 
evidence of her piety and resignation. 



MY DEAREST EARTHLY LOVE, 

I think my own hand will less surprise you than 
any one's else, informing you that I am not quite 
well, but better than I was last night. Remember, 
my dear, He doeth all things well. I feel it to be so 
at this present moment. I trust this loving Father 
will still give us another meeting here below : if not, 
you know we have often surrendered ourselves and 
each other to His all- wise disposal ; and He cannot 
but do right. I feel His love to me at this time, 
though faintly, through the earthly clogs to which my 
flesh cleaves fast. 

I am kept very still. Mr. S. sat up with me all 
night ; and Dr. A. has just left me ; and both give me 
very good encouragement : so, my dear, do not be 
unhappy ; nor, I beg of you, if you love me, do not 
travel faster than your health will permit ; and may 
the God of peace and consolation accompany you ! I 
can never praise Him enough for His goodness to me 



DEATH OF MRS. VENN. 



127 



at this time — to me, the very vilest of those who have 
fallen from Him. I will get Mr. Riland to write to 
Mrs. Knipe ; and I will direct this to Mr. Gambier's, 
that, wherever you are, you may soon know the worst. 
I assure you I write the worst, to prepare you, should 
things be bad ; and to increase your thankfulness, 
should we meet with joy, which I hope will be granted 
us. I cannot well write longer, as I only lean on 
one elbow in the bed. May our God preserve us 
both, by His covenant of everlasting love ! — so prays 
your affectionate Syphe, for herself and the very best 
of husbands. E. Venn. 



The following particulars are extracted from a brief state- 
ment, in Mr. Venn's hand-writing : — 

On the 5th of September, when some alarming 
symptoms appeared, she told me, " 1 am ready ; I am 
willing to depart ; so clear a view have I of my 
Saviour'/ 3 On Tuesday the 8th, when the fever 
raged, she laid her hand upon the head of her most 
dear friend, Miss Hudson, saying, " Oh that I could 
take you up with me to everlasting rest \ 3> Upon my 
dearest friend, Mr. Riland, asking her whether she 
could not still bless God, she answered, smiling, " Oh ! 
now is the time for Him to bless me!" meaning, her 
disease bore down the activity of her mind, and ren- 
dered her entirely passive to receive the comforts of 
His love. Two days before her departure, she desired 
we would not pray for her recovery, but for some 
mitigation of her pain, and for an easy passage to her 
Lord. This request was fully answered * for though 
her pain increased, till she once said, " I think it is 



128 



DEATH OF MRS. VENN. 



greater than I can bear," yet the very last words she 
uttered were — " Oh, the joy ! Oh, the delight V 3 

I was in much pain after I knew we must part, 
from the fear of what she might suffer in the agonies 
of death. But, in the midst of judgment, upon me a 
sinful man, my God remembered mercy : for she 
appeared insensible from six in the morning till a 
quarter past two in the afternoon, on the 11th of Sep- 
tember 1767; when, only drawing in her breath 
twice, somewhat longer than usual, her spirit took its 
flight, and left me suffering under an affliction, which 
nothing but the presence and love of Jesus, and the 
clear evidence of her being with Him, could make 
supportable. 



In the following letter, Mr. Venn announces the event to 
one of his most intimate and attached friends. 

TO MRS. MEDHURST. 

DEAR MADAM, Huddersfield, Sept. 11, 1767. 

Plead for me with our God and Saviour ! He has 
made me very desolate : this day I am become a 
widower, and have lost as much as could be lost in 
the name of wife and mother. She testified how true 
the Lord, her strength, was ; and spoke good of His 
name ; and of her readiness and willingness to depart, 
having seen His great salvation. I know of no one 
she will greet with greater joy, in Immanuel's land, 
than Mrs. Medhurst and her sister. Jesus, hold me 
by thy right hand, till I reach the same blessed haven ! 
— I remain yours, in much affliction, 

H. Venn. 



mr. Venn's letters on her death. 



129 



TO MRS. MEDHURST. 

Huddersfield, Sept. 14, 1767. 
May my Master, dear Madam, reward a thousand- 
fold your kind and tender pity for me ! What am I, 
that you should so load me with your unfeigned re- 
gards of Christian love, and desire that my bleeding 
wounds may be healed ? I can speak good, even now, 
of my Master's name. I have as certain a view of my 
wife's glory as if it was a vision. But I must not ex- 
pect' such an amazing support will last long. If it 
please J esus, my God, be it so ! My God, in Geth- 
semane, and on the Cross, will at once silence and 
support my helpless soul. 

A thousand thanks for your invitation to come to 
Kippax ! The Divine order is, for the afflicted " to sit 
alone, and keep silence ; because He has borne it 
upon him." Mr. Riland weeps with me. ; and is a 
blessing, more than I could have conceived, to my 
wounded heart. From your greatly indebted, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. MEDHURST. 

DEAR MADAM, Huddersfield, Oct. 9, 1767. 

Though I make no doubt you have heard of the 
loving-kindness of my God and Saviour to me, in the 
midst of his correction ; yet I am sure your sympa- 
thizing heart will rejoice in hearing that the power of 
Jesus is displayed as it is towards so sinful a man as 
I am. 

It is said of Israel, returned from Babylon, " When 
the Lord turned our captivity, then were we like to 
them that dream." But that one who has lost the 
wisest counsellor, the ablest guide of his family, the 

K 



130 



LETTERS WRITTEN 



most pleasing companion, the most affectionate wife — 
lost her, when all that, as a Christian minister, I ought 
most to love was increasing in her ; when her expe- 
rimental knowledge of the salvation of God had 
opened her mouth to speak so charmingly of His name ; 
when her children just began to be struck with her 
excellence ; — that in such circumstances as these I 
should be for joy as one that dreams, is amazing in- 
deed to myself, and must seem absolutely incredible 
to the world ! And had I not precedents and exam- 
ples of the same rich grace, I should be ready to say, 
even whilst all my blessed wife's excellencies, and all 
her love for me, are indelibly impressed on my heart, 
that I had not a just affection for her. 

But when I read the account of a Mr. Tennant, in 
New England, preaching at the grave of a much-be- 
loved wife — of Mr. Shaw, a minister of the last age, 
in Leicestershire, who has described his feelings at 
the time he was committing two most dear children 
to a grave which he was forced himself to dig in his 
own garden (they dying of the plague), and hear him 
say, he desires to leave it upon record, that God is 
All-sufficient, even at such an hour as that, and in the 
midst of so great a calamity — when I consider these 
things, I can only wonder that such grace should ever 
be conferred on one who has sinned, and does sin 
every breath he draws ! 

My happiness springs from such an evidence of my 
wife being in glory, as amounts almost to sight ; so 
that I can engage in no religious exercise, but she is, 
as it were, an additional spur, to engage in it with all 
my might. 

I feel my debt to my God enlarged in all His favours 
towards that other part of myself. I with gratitude 



ON HIS WIFE'S DEATH. 



131 



adore Him, for the precious loan of so dear a child of 
His, for ten years and four months to be my wife. I 
think over, with much delight, the many tokens of 
love from God during the time of her pilgrimage, and 
the consolations which refreshed and rejoiced her soul 
upon the bed of death. I consider her as delivered 
from the evil to come ; and in the possession of all I 
have been begins: of God for her, ever since we knew 
each other. Every degree of peace, of light, of joy, I 
feel in Jesus immediately suggests the infinitely ex- 
alted sensations of the same kind which enrapture her 
spirit. And, above all, I have now to praise my 
Master, that I have an experimental proof that He 
giveth songs in the night ; that, when dearest comforts 
are taken away, the light of his countenance, a little 
brighter view of His great salvation, a little stronger 
feeling of the tenderness of His heart, is more than a 
recompence for every loss we can sustain. I can now 
say, from proof, " Our light affliction, which is but for 
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the 
things which are seen, but at the things which are not 
seen : for the things which are seen are temporal, but 
the things which are not seen are eternal." I am not 
certain, dear Madam, whether I sent you an account 
of the grace, mercy, and peace, which was bestowed 
on my blessed wife. If I have not, I will, upon hear- 
ing from you. 

I beg my Christian love to Mr. M and all the 

family. From your obliged, afflicted, yet rejoicing 
friend, 

H. Venn. 



132 



LETTERS WRITTEN 



TO MISS WHEELER. 

Huddersfield, Oct 13, 1767. 

Since the moment she left me, I can compare 

my sense of her being with the Lord to nothing but 
vision ; it is so clear, so constant, so delightful ! At 
the same time, the Lord gives me to see His own 
infinite beauty, and to feel more and more His pre- 
ciousness, as a fountain of living waters to those who 
are bereft of earthly joys. And well it is that I am 
so supported ! For His own cause, I cannot but con- 
clude, the Lord does it ; since, immediately upon my 
unspeakable loss, the opposers cried out, " Ah ! now 
you will see what will become of his vauntings, of 
the power of faith, and the name of Jesus ! 33 They 
knew our great happiness ; and they said, " You will 
see your Vicar just like any one of us in the same 
situation ! " But my God heard and answered ; so 
that, when I was mightily helped by Him to preach, 
the very Sabbath after her death, and not many hours 
after her interment*, their mouths were stopped ; and 
the little flock of Jesus, who had been praying for me 
with all fervour and affection, say they have not had so 
great a blessing since I have been among them. 

Your dear sister, Mrs. Medhurst, was most exceed- 
ingly kind in her letter to me ; and invited me, with 
some of my dear children, to Kippax : but I am now 
more closely confined to my home ; for, as there is no 
one to take care of my children out of love, I am my- 
self called of God, in this providence, to be the more 
attentive to them. 

* Mrs. Venn was interred on Saturday night, by torch-light. Mr. 
Burnett preached in the church, during the service. Mr. Venn's text 
the next morning, was : " Let me die the death of the righteous ; and 
let my last end be like his ! " 



ON HIS WIFE'S DEATH. 



133 



Our church is indeed a Bethel to me ! The last 
Lord's-day but one I had the sweetest communion 
with my blessed wife — I, beholding by faith the Lamb, 
before whose throne she was worshipping, seeing Him 
as He is — I, surrounded with poor sinners like my- 
self; she, with the spirits of the Just made perfect — I, 
in sure and certain hope of arriving at that incon- 
ceivable bliss ; she, in the actual fruition of it ! — 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. MEDHURST. 
DEAR MADAM, Huddersfield, Nov. 20, 1767. 

I am extremely obliged to you for your letter, this 
day received : and it is scarce possible, I hope, for me 
ever to doubt your Christian affection towards me, 
though I should never have the pleasure of a line from 
you again. I am sorry it was your infirm state of 
health which prevented your writing ; but the heirs of 
the kingdom must be conformed to their suffering, 
crucified God. Our own troubles enable us much 
better to conceive what love burned in that heart, 
towards our sinful souls, when nailed to the Cross for 
their salvation. A sword went through my heart, 
when my blessed wife was lying in the scorching 
fever ; and I then felt what it cost to redeem my soul, 
more sensibly than ever ! 

It would give me great pleasure to visit Kippax ; 
and when I may, I shall certainly take the opportunity. 
But our Leader and Commander fixes our places, in 
His infinite love ; and my post is now, after the best 
manner He shall enable a poor, ignorant, and helpless 
man, to supply to my dear babes the want of a most 
tender mother. A peculiar blessing is vouchsafed to 



134 AFFECTING RECOLLECTIONS OF HIS WIFE. 

all under this roof, since the dearest person to God in 
it has been received into glory. My two maids * are, 
in all appearance, now in earnest seeking" the Lord ; 
and our family worship is sweet indeed ; so that I can 
leave my home but very seldom. The hand of the 
Lord is also much, in mercy, laid upon many in the 
parish ; so that, had I strength, I should be speaking 
from morning to night to precious souls, who are 
coming to me and dear Mr. Riland. 

TO MRS. MEDHURST. 

Huddersfield, Feb. 21, 1768. 
You will easily believe I had much pleasure in the 
prospect of spending two or three days at Kippax ; a 
place always pleasing to me ; but now still more so, 
as the circumstance of the truly cordial friendship in 
Christ, with which my beloved wife was always there 
received, will bring strongly to my mind her past 
delights in that very scene : and though it may appear 
strange that I should be pleased with what would be 
reckoned only to embitter my loss, it is still true ; for, 
feeling such a glorious certainty she is with her In- 
carnate God, I take a double pleasure in the places 
where I have formerly been with her, and seen her 
soul aspiring to Him ; and in the company that still 
increased those aspirings in her breast. You will be- 
lieve me, therefore, when I tell you, after I had ridden 

* One of these servants was Ruth Clark, who, from this time, be- 
came truly pious, and maintained to the last a most exemplary and 
consistent character. She continued in Mr. Venn's service to his death, 
and was supported by the family for the remainder of her days. A 
Memoir of her has been lately published, entitled, "The Single 
Talent Well Employed; or, The History of Ruth Clark." p. 23. 
Hatchards. 



VISIT TO A SICK PERSON. 



135 



eight miles on my way to you, I was turned back by 
a consideration which then first darted into my mind. 
It was this — lest, the weight of the whole duty lying 
on dear Mr. Riland, it should bring on a relapse of 
his very alarming attack. Immediately, the uneasi- 
ness I felt, and the self-condemnation I should suffer, 
and the appearance it might have of unkindness in 
leaving him too soon alone, all crowded into my mind ; 
and I could no way be satisfied, but by being with 
him. I determined, therefore, (God willing) to post- 
pone my visit to you a little longer ; when absence 
from home, on a Sabbath-day, will in no degree en- 
danger the health of one so justly dear to the parish 
and to myself, both for indefatigable labour and a 
most truly-Christian example. 

I beg my best respects to Mr. M. and all the family. 
Sometimes with fervency, though never in that degree 
I owe it to my dear Christian friends, it is given me 
to remember them at the Throne of Grace ; to make 
mention of their chief connexions, and the dear parts 
of themselves, the chief of earthly comforts. It is one 
of the many striking things in that dark book, the 
" Serious Call," the wishing to be a righteous man, 
with this view — to have an interest for our beloved 
friends at the Throne of Grace. 

Since I wrote by dear Mr. B., I have paid a most 
affecting visit. I saw youth, beauty, good sense, and 
engaging manners, all hastening to the grave, at 
nineteen ; and my heart has been pained, to speak so 
very plainly as, in faithfulness to the dear young lady, 
I am compelled to do. But I trust I shall have my 
reward. Her conscience seems now to be awakened ; 
and her delight is, to have me visit her. I would beg 
my believing friends to help me by their prayers, that 



136 



HAREWOOD HOUSE. 



our words may be given us by the Great Master of 
the Assemblies, and we may speak thunder till the 
evil of sin is owned, and then pour balm into the 
bleeding wound. 

I remain, dear Madam, your friend and servant in 
our Immanuel. 

H. Venn. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 
DEAR SIR, Helmsley, June 11, 1768. 

I took my children to see Harewood House ; but 
how little, how despicable is the superb mansion, and 
all that pomp can procure, if the Builder of all Things 
is Himself unknown ! My children were much pleased 
with the great man's toy ; whilst Mr. Marshall and 
myself could unfeignedly thank the Lord, who had 
been pleased to provide so much better things for us. 
Our Inheritance, and our Mansion, improve in beauty 
and in value, upon each repeated survey ; and the 
closer it is made, the more cause we see to prize it. 

We all arrived safe at York ; and with much 
prayer, in great concern for my dear child, I carried 
her to school ; there to hear the language of the world ; 
and to feel, alas! the dreadful passions of her own 
heart, the passions of her fellows, and to be a witness 
to the follies of those who live in ignorance of man's 
true and only felicity. 

In this place*, where I now am, the Lord Jesus 
has a Church ; and many souls, who were lost and 
dead, have been called, by Sovereign Grace, to partake 
of eternal life, in the precious Saviour. 

With great pleasure, I observed you took time for 

* The Rev. Dr. Conyers was at this time Vicar of Helmsley. 



SACRED RETIREMENT. 



137 



sacred retirement, at Park Gate. It has long appeared 
to me absolutely needful to appropriate more time 
than usual to prayer and meditation, when we are 
visiting our friends : by this means we shall be better 
enabled to edify them by our conversation ; and they 
will feel an unction in our discourse, in proportion as 
our own hearts are affected with the things of God. 
Indeed, this is one particular, distinguishing a child 
of God from others, that, in all his visits, his earnest 
aim is to do good, and to receive it ; to be careful, 
that as each fleeting day carries up its report con- 
cerning us, which is registered in the book of God, it 
may be an evidence of the grace of God given to us. 

With prayer, my dear friend, self-denial must be 
added. It is incredible what advantage I have fre- 
quently received from omitting my usual repast, and 
occasionally taking an opportunity for a more solemn 
pause, and a more clear inspection into my provoca- 
tions and corruptions, my dangers and enemies, my 
mercies and blessings! They wholly mistake the 
matter, who suppose we have nothing to do, because 
all is done that saves the soul : on the contrary, he 
that is born of God is enlisted — enlisted to be a war- 
rior against himself, as well as Satan. This new life 
exercises itself in acts suitable to its own Divine 
nature and perfections. And though the 'new lights 3 
will pronounce it absolute nonsense to affirm, that 
the man who knows he shall never perish will take 
most pains in subduing his passions, yet the fact is 
certain, and visible in the children of God. May 
you and dear Mrs. K. ever prove such riddles to men 
of the world, and be fools for Christ, in their eyes ! 

H. Venn, 



138 



JOURNEY TO LONDON. 



In the autumn of this year (1768), Miss Hudson was mar- 
ried to the Rev. John Riland. The newly-married couple 
resided with Mr. Venn, in the Vicarage, as Mr. Riland had 
been accustomed to do before his marriage. By this arrange- 
ment, Mr. Venn's young family received the benefit of a 
most affectionate superintendence, which repaired, as far as 
possible, their mother's loss : and as Mr. Venn's health, which 
had become very precarious, required a change of air and 
scene, he was able to leave home with greater comfort than 
he could otherwise have done. Accordingly, in March 1769, 
he paid a visit to London ; and, at the request of Mr. Thorn- 
ton, who was High Sheriff for the county of Surrey, he 
preached the Assize Sermon at Kingston, which was after- 
wards published. 

The following extracts are taken from letters written to 
Mrs. Riland during his absence. 



London, March 7, 1769. 
I have been prevented from writing' sooner than 
to-day : but this advantage arises from the inconve- 
nience — I can now desire you, and my dear brother 
Riland, to return thanks to our kind and gracious 
Father, for giving us a very prosperous journey to 
this place. At Rotherham we were received with 
Christian love, at Mr. Walker's house. At Olney, 
Mr. Cowper, that astonishing instance of grace, and 
Mrs. Unwin, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Newton, re- 
ceived us with great kindness. We arrived there on 
Saturday evening. But how different the church, from 
favoured, dear Huddersfield! — not so many hearers 
in the morning as we have at our Sacraments ! and at 
that ordinance how very few ! and no singing with a 



VISIT TO NEWTON, AND COWPER, AT OLNEY. 139 

loud voice. Will not my dear friend say, I was care- 
ful, when she hears I did nothing till the evening, the 
third time of assembling on that day in the House of 
God? and then I preached only forty-four minutes. 
My subject was, ' Looking on J esus, and Him pierced : 3 
Zech. xii. 10. There was a very deep attention; 
and, towards the close, I spoke much on the necessity 
of a triumphant looking upon Him. It occasioned a 
good deal of conversation between Mr. Newton and 
myself; and I trust it was made useful.* 

Cease not to pray for me, my dear friend, that, every 
day I am absent from my own flock, I may be of 
signal service to those with whom I converse. 

March 21. 

The Lord has answered thus far our prayers. He 
has given me liberty to preach in His name; and 

* The mention of a visit to Olney will naturally introduce the fol- 
lowing striking tribute to Mr Venn, from the pen of Cowper ; con- 
veyed in a letter to Mr. Newton, written in 1791. 

" I am sorry that Mr. Venn's labours below are so near to a conclusion. 
I have seen few men whom I could have loved more, had opportunity 
been given me to know him better : so at least I have thought, as 
often as I have seen him. But when I saw him last, which is some 
years since, he appeared so much broken, that I could not have ima- 
gined he would have lasted half so long. Were I capable of envying 
in the strict sense of the word, a good man, I should envy him and 
Mr. Berridge and yourself, who have spent, and, while they last, will 
continue to spend, your lives in the service of the only Master worth 
serving ; labouring always for the souls of men, and not to tickle their 
ears, as I do. But this I can say — God knows how much rather I 
would be the obscure tenant of a lath-and-plaster cottage, with a 
lively sense of my interest in a Redeemer, than the most admired 
object of public notice without it." — Private Correspondence of Wil- 
liam Cowper, Esq., by John Johnson, LL.D. vol. ii. p. 261. 



140 VISITING THE SCENES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. 

His children have been made to rejoice in His word, 
preached by a sinful man. My subject at the Lock 
was, " The Lord loveth and nourisheth the Church, &c." 
In my sermon, I told them, after my manner, the fol- 
lowing story of a widow woman at Olney, with whom 
I conversed on my journey to town. She thus ex- 
pressed her desire to die : " I often go into the church- 
yard, and walk round my Father's house, and cast 
many a wistful look at it. I see one and another 
called home ; and I say, ' My dear Father ! when shall 
my turn come ?' " — The good Lord give us all this 
faith, and increase it more and more ! 

Last Friday, after I had preached the preceding 
day at the Assizes, I took a solemn, but a most 
pleasing and profitable ride : it was about sixteen 
miles, all in the neighbourhood of my native village 
(Barnes). Here I saw and felt that " all flesh is grass, 
and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the 
field." Here I saw one generation after another cut 
off, and only two or three of my old acquaintances 
surviving long after their contemporaries. Here, 
also, in one part of my ride, I traced the most pleasing 
walks I took, fourteen years since, and more, with my 
dear glorified wife : and, what with the extreme 
richness and beauty of the country, the balmy air, and 
reviving sunshine, I had a lively idea of that blessed 
world, of which she has been now an inhabitant for 
more than eighteen months. In the midst of all my 
thoughts, you and yours were warmly remembered. 
Oh, that I could feel a becoming love for you both, 
and worthily adore that precious Saviour, in whom 
we are one in heart and mind ! 

Be sure you thank God in my behalf, for all the 
tender care He has taken of me, and for all the tokens 



A CONDEMNED CRIMINAL. 



141 



of love which He shews me. May they be multiplied 
in me, and in you, and my dear brother ! And when 
I return, may your heart feel that I am made a blessed 
instrument of God, to build you up in your most 
holy faith ! 

March 28. 

The time of my returning, I long for ; and 

will do all that lies in my power to hasten it ; for I 
love my home better than any other place, whilst I 
have such friends there. But I am so much engaged 
in visiting a condemned man, twelve miles from 
London, that I fear I shall not be able to leave 
London before the end of three weeks. I think it 
long ; but my friends are so kind, and make so much 
of my company, that I cannot refuse them. The man 
condemned is a son of godly parents in Ireland, yet 
a most notorious offender. He is chained to the 
floor, whilst I am preaching to him. A sense of his 
guilt is come upon him; but he says his heart is 
hardened, and he cannot pray. I hope the Saviour, 
who alone can take away the heart of stone, and give 
the heart of flesh, will have mercy upon him, ere he 
is called to the bar of Judgment ! I am going down 
to-morrow, to stay two days with him. Oh that my 
hard heart may be softened ! Oh, that I may weep 
for him, and be heard in the very pouring out of my 
soul for his salvation ! 

April 1. 

1 have returned from visiting the condemned 

prisoner ; with whom I was a good deal ; and preached 
one evening in the jail to a small company, on those 
blessed words, " The Son of Man is come to seek and 



142 



PREACHING IN LONDON. 



to save that which was lost." The poor man seemed 
to have a glimpse of that Blessed Redeemer, and His 
ability and willingness to save them ; so that his heart 
began to feel a hope he never knew before : so certain 
is it, that the preaching of Christ Crucified is the 
power of God unto salvation ! 

April 8. 

1 still continue well, and have many pulpits 

opened to me : and I believe I could preach charity- 
sermons every Sunday, were I to stay here this half 
year. I am frequently delighted with seeing my 
spiritual children. Last night particularly, after ser- 
vice, I saw the hair-dresser whom I used to employ 
seventeen years since. He was then a country lad ; 
and I used to talk much to him. He told me, with 
tears, that, by Sovereign grace, he still lived near the 
Fountain of all life and salvation. — Immediately 
after he had done, a lady said to me, " You, Sir, are 
my spiritual father." Oh, what an honour, an un- 
speakable privilege ! — enough to humble me, a sinful 
man, to the dust! enough to overwhelm my soul 
with never-ceasing astonishment ! — enough to make 
me flame with the fire of love and zeal for Christ, to 
spend and be spent for Him I Sometimes I feel thus 
rightly affected ; and the feeling has indeed much of 
Heaven in it; but corruption and unbelief again 
work, and all that fine sensation is gone. 

April 14. 

1 have this morning left Mr. Thornton. Oh, 

that God would make me, in my sphere, and my dear 
friend, and every one of us who dwell together, such 
trees of righteousness as he is ! Indeed, his humility 



FRUITS OF HIS MINISTRY. 



143 



can be only equalled by his bounty, and by his watch- 
fulness and diligent use of the means of grace. 

Thus, by coming at times to be a week or two 
with my friends, the cement of friendship is main- 
tained. 

April 18. 

1 have more pleasure in writing this letter 

than in any one I have sent you since I left home ; 
because I can now fix the day when, God willing, 
I shall leave the life of hurry and noise I am now in, 
to retreat to my peaceable highly-favoured home, 
where my two friends will receive me with joy, and 
gratitude to God for all his mercies to a sinful worm. 

I have not been idle. I have been too much 
pressed to refuse ; and, on the whole, I have preached 
twenty times, during eight weeks, to crowded churches ; 
and, I think, with more boldness, delight, and power, 
than I have ever done before. The last Sermon, on 

Sunday, has been made of use to Mrs. : so that, 

though I have often wished to be at home, I have 
much cause to bless God for my journey. What has 
most pleased me, is, to find how many spiritual 
children, of whom I knew nothing, the Lord has 
given me in this city. One young man, for whom I 
wrote out a prayer when he was twelve years old, 
did, he told me, from that time set out in earnest. 

Last Sunday morning I preached a charity-sermon 
in one of the largest churches in London. The 
curate so hated my name, that he left the church, and 
there was no one to read the prayers : after making 
the congregation wait, I was obliged to read them 
myself. In the congregation I saw two young men 
from Huddersfield, who had run away from their 



144 



CHRISTIAN BOLDNESS. 



homes. I took occasion to tell the congregation, that 
I knew there were present two unhappy people, self- 
deceivers concerning the doctrine of Grace. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 

Huddersfield, July 8, 1769. 
I esteem myself much obliged to you, my affec- 
tionate friend, for the good news of your safe arrival 
in London, and the grace of our God manifested to 
your precious soul, under all the trials you are con- 
stantly to meet with from without and from within. 
The more experience we have of both, the more 
rational, and indeed necessary, appears to me the 
glorious doctrine of assurance, founded upon the 
work and covenant — the one performed, and the other 
ratified, in God our Saviour. 

I was glad you spoke for our dear Almighty Friend, 
in the coach. To see the boldness of the agents of 
Satan, and the timidity of the soldiers of Christ, is 
affecting indeed ! Yet how much condemnation have 
I in my own mind, on that account ! — not that pru- 
dence is to be discarded in this matter. " Speak not 
in the ears of a fool, lest he despise the wisdom of thy 
words," is a necessary caution : yet we are apt of- 
tener to err on the other side. In short, in this case, 
as well as in others, we stand in continual need of 
that guidance and unerring direction promised to us : 
and by daily prayer for the Holy Ghost, He will 
guide us in that path which, as Mr. Hart expresses it, 
" the vulture's eye hath not seen." This I have 
always found — that when I have lifted up my soul to 
God, to be made useful, wherever I have been going, 
I seldom or never came away without the answer to 



lady Huntingdon's chapels. 14^ 

my prayer. I had a remarkable instance of this, the 
other day, in a visit paid to Mrs. Ramsden; whose 
grief for her loss is, indeed, afflicting to behold ! The 
whole company at dinner was, this Lady, the Mar- 
chioness of Rockingham, and her two other daughters. 
When I came away, I could scarce believe I had near 
two hours' talk, upon the grand, adorable object. 

Oh, pray for me ! and I will endeavour to return 
the favour — that every morning I may rise with an 
active and ^steady purpose to be doing something 
for God, as the miser rises with the design to get 
more gain each day. 



In the October of this year, Mr. Venn engaged to preach, 
for a few Sundays, at the Chapel, at Bath, belonging to Lady 
Huntingdon. At this time, there were only a few chapels 
under her ladyship's patronage ; which were served by mini- 
sters of the Church of England : and it was generally thought, 
through a misunderstanding of the extent of the privilege of 
a Peeress, that there was no ecclesiastical irregularity in their 
so doing. A trial which took place in the Consistorial Court 
of London, about ten years after this date, respecting Lady 
Huntingdon's Chapel in Spa Fields, first decided their cha- 
racter, as dissenting places of worship. After that event, 
Mr. Venn no longer officiated in them. 

The following are extracts from letters written to Mrs. 
Riland, on his journey and during his absence from Hud- 
dersfield. 

St. Allan's, Oct. 13, 1769. 
From Sheffield I rode to Chatsworth, where I slept, 
and set off the next morning at six o'clock. When I 
arrived at the top of the hill, I saw a deep valley, full 

L 



146 



JOURNEY TO BATH. 



of mist, into which I was to descend — a lively repre- 
sentation of that state in which we lie by nature ; and 
the sun appeared as pale as the moon, and not at all 
equal in appearance to the mighty work of dispelling" 
so gross a mist : but, in about an hour, the glorious 
luminary scattered it all, and at once delighted and 
warmed me by its beams, giving me a very lively 
idea of the Sun of Righteousness rising with healing 
in His wings on the sinner's soul ; such as you and I, 
my dear friend, have, through rich and sovereign 
grace, experienced. Happy day, when Jesus, the 
light of life, revealed His glory to us ! 

At Northampton, no Mr. Madan ; so that I fear he 
is ill. I know what it is to suffer more, long after 
the blow has been given, than immediately upon 
feeling it : probably he is now suffering anguish of 
spirit for his departed Isaac. From Northampton I 
came hither; and my dear friend Mr. Clarke, of 
Chesham Boyce, is sitting by me. Had it not been 
for him, I should certainly have filled my sheet. 

Bath, Oct. 22. 

Yesterday I was brought in health and safety to 
my journey's end. Many Christian friends I have 
met with, all expressing their love for me, a worm, 
sometimes not able to bear the sight of my own 
pollutions. Indeed I feel, under the expressions of 
kindness I receive, sometimes distressed : and when 
I compare my reputed with my real self, I seem 
like a man of supposed large fortune, and living in 
splendour, who is, in fact, a bankrupt, and nothing 
worth. 

Dear Mr. Clarke I was happy with. He preached 
last Sunday Morning, a discourse full of good sense, 



CLARKE TALBOT TO WNSHEND. 147 

abundant in matter, searching and piercing to the 
heart, yet truly evangelical. A company of about 
one hundred hearers have him for their teacher, whose 
good sense, and knowledge and grace, qualify him for 
the largest sphere. This is one of the secrets not to 
be explored by us: it is enough to know that the 
Head of the Church fixes His ministers as seemeth 
best to His infinite wisdom. 

From Mr. Clarke I went to Reading, and was re- 
ceived with unfeigned love by Mr. and Mrs. Talbot : 
he rode with me on my way to Bath : we had very 
much communion of heart. From Mr. Talbot's I 
rode to Pewsey, and was most cordially received by 
Mr. Townshend: he is an excellent man, and in- 
quired after Mr. Riland, and all Yorkshire friends, 
with great affection. From thence I came here yes- 
terday ; and found Lady Huntingdon, and my dear 
Son in the Gospel as he will call himself, Mr. Shirley : 
we are to share the work between us. I am made 
very much of, I can assure you ! My accommodations 
are very agreeable ; and every thing I could wish for 
is done to express respect. In fact, I find there is no 
stronger temptation to vanity, and self-love, than 
what a travelling popular preacher meets with. 

Bath, Nov. 4. 

On Sunday evening last there was such a crowded 
audience, Mr. Shirley told me, as there never was 
before. The chapel doors were set open ; and people 
stood in the court, as far as the houses. That full 
description of the way of salvation, and the object of 
the believer's hope, the condition of the Lord's ene- 
mies, and the glory of His people, in the concluding 
verses of Isaiah xlv., was my subject. 

l 2 



148 



SOLITUDE CHERISHES FAITH. 



Happily, I am much alone! though solicited to 
spend my time with one family after another all the 
day. You may judge of this, when I tell you I have 
read two quarto volumes, with other books, and 
written near twenty letters, without intermitting my 
study of the ever-blessed Book. Solitude is a great 
cherisher of faith : were we more alone, to pray, and 
look back upon ourselves, and to look into ourselves, 
— not to find any good, but to observe more of the 
amazing blindness of heart, unbelief, selfishness, and 
vile idolatry, which so benumb our feelings of the 
love of Christ — were we to be more alone for these 
purposes, we should enjoy more of the presence and 
joy of God. In the exercise of meditation and prayer, 
I can stand amazed, and be almost lost in astonish- 
ment at my misery and sinfulness — misery so great, 
in not feeling an everlasting admiration, love, and 
joy, in an Incarnate Jehovah, and in the view of the 
great things of the Spirit of God which are revealed 
to me ! At the same time that this is my misery, it is 
my shame and guilt; for every thing ought to be 
loved according to its intrinsic worth. What a robber 
am I, and what sacrilege am I committing, when the 
affections of my heart are so cold towards my Lord ! 
Sometimes I have touches which I would give the 
world might last; but in an hour they are gone. 
Whilst they last, my heart swells with the vehement 
desire expressed in the hymn, 

Nothing in all things may I see, 
Nothing on earth desire, but Thee ! 

In my own experience, perhaps, I am describing 
my dear friend's. What then, can be our hope, some 
would say, thus self-condemned ? Our hope, we will 



LADY HUNTINGDON. 



149 



boldly answer, is that very precious Lord, to whom 
we make such base returns. Our hope is sure and 
steadfast. He will have mercy. We are His. And 
though now for many years we are thus poor, yet 
hereafter, through all eternity, we shall offer unto 
Him a perfect heart, a perfect love ; and be lost in 
Him, the centre and source of our life and salvation. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 

Bath, Nov. 5. 

I am favoured with the pleasing sight, and with 
the animating example, of a soul inflamed with love to 
a Crucified God — that stumbling-block to them that 
perish. In Lady Huntingdon I see a star of the first 
magnitude in the firmament of the Church. Blessed 
be God for free grace, that salvation is to every one 
that cometh to Christ ! otherwise, when I compare my 
life and my spirit with hers, I could not believe the 
same heaven was to contain us. How do works, the 
works of faith and love, speak and preach Jesus 
Christ, in that devoted servant of His ! No equipage 
— no livery servants — no house — all these given up, 
that perishing sinners may hear the life-giving sound, 
and be enriched with all spiritual" blessings. Her 
prayers are heard, her chapel is crowded, and many 
sinners amongst the poor are brought into the City of 
Refuge. Happy is it for us, my friend, that we have 
been brought into that city — that we know in whom 
we have believed — that we can say, " Surely in the 
Lord have I righteousness and strength \" — that we 
have been happily reduced to the necessity of con- 
fessing we have nothing to plead, but, " Worthy is 
the Lamb 1" This is all our relief, consolation, and 



150 BENEFIT OF A CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE. 

triumph : and will be, through all ages. I feel, from 
Lady Huntingdon's example, an increasing desire, 
both for myself and you, and all our friends, that we 
may be active and eminent in the life of grace. Too 
apt are we to rest in life received, and not to be every 
day doing something for our Lord ; either earnestly 
engaging in prayer, speaking affectionately to sinners, 
overcoming our selfish violent passions, or exercising 
mercy to our needy brethren : but it is by abounding 
in every good work, that our light shines before men, 
and we stand confessed the workmanship of God in 
Christ. I would urge the duty — and may God press 
it home effectually upon my own heart ? — of " opening 
our mouths wide," to importune Him for the best 
gifts ; and to live, in the sight of all around us, beyond 
dispute, zealous conscientious worshippers, and dear 
obedient children. 

I have enjoyed in this visit the edifying discourse 
and bright example of many of our dear Saviour's 
family ; all of them partakers of one life and one 
spirit, yet each distinguished by its particular hue and 
beauteous colour, more predominant than the rest. In 
one, I have been animated by ardent activity for the 
glory of Christ, and the salvation of souls. In another, 
I was pleased and softened by conspicuous meekness 
and gentleness of spirit. In a third, I was excited to 
love and good works, by the fervent charity and bro- 
therly kindness I beheld : and in a fourth, I was led 
to abase myself, and confess the pride of my heart, 
from the humility and brokenness of spirit which 
struck me. In the Head alone, all graces, in their 
lustre, unite. 



MINISTERIAL FAITHFULNESS. 



151 



TO MRS. RILAND. 

Bath, Nov. 9. 

I have written to , and told them very plainly 

and fully my fears and jealousy respecting their spi- 
ritual state. Long have I been convinced that it is 
the only proper way of acting up to our profession, 
as friends to one another in the Lord, thus faithfully 
to speak. Much guilt have I contracted, by the 
neglect of doing so ; but such is the extreme selfish- 
ness natural to my heart, that it pains me, beyond 
expression, to reprove faithfully any particular friend. 

I feel desolate sometimes at the thought of my sad 
bereavement; yet this sensation serves to make the 
world appear in the light it ought, like a land where 
I am an unknown passenger, hastening to a rich and 
immense inheritance in the love and presence of my 
Lord ; whose property each individual believer is, as 
much as the angels themselves. In this confidence I 
can repose myself on His faithful arm, to be either 
full or bereaved, rich or poor, in pain or ease, as He 
shall please to appoint. Oh, mighty force of re- 
deeming love ! This, applied by the Holy Ghost, is 
an abiding demonstration to us, that we are dear and 
precious in the eyes of our God. From this know- 
ledge proceeds a power to be willingly subject, with- 
out reserve, to His holy will — an assurance that 
afflictions and necessities are appointed for our truest 
interest. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Sandwell, Dec. 2. 
Some blessed times indeed I have had, since we 
parted ! and some at the Throne of Grace, whilst 



152 



SUCCESS OF PRAYER. 



I have been remembering you, and entreating* for 
your enjoyment, more and more, of the fruits of the 
death of Jesus, and of the power of His resurrection. 
Yet it sometimes occasions a great trial of our faith, 
and a painful submission of our understanding to 
God, to reconcile the absolute certainty of the pro- 
mises in Christ Jesus, and the success and prevalence 
of prayer, with the experience of the people of God. 
When I consider the slow progress I have made, the 
many, many evil thoughts and desires, the continual 
defilement and extreme weakness and inconstancy of 
mind I labour under, I am ready to cry out, " Is 
there unfaithfulness in God ? Where is His promise ?" 
But, upon maturer thoughts, all this is quite neces- 
sary, to mortify my vanity, to deepen my convictions 
of sin, to make self abhorred — earth appear a howling 
wilderness — and a better and a more holy state of 
existence longed for. 

As soon as I came here, the Earl, with as much 
love as you could wish he had for me, received me ; 
and Lady Dartmouth the same. It often happens to 
me, that the tender regard of my friends distresses 
me; as I cannot divide myself, nor spend my time 
with them as they desire. It is the case at present ; 
Lord and Lady Dartmouth, with an earnestness 
which makes me blush, and which I cannot withstand, 
will not let me leave Sandwell till Monday the 11th. 



( 153 ) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 



SECTION II. 

LETTERS WRITTEN, FROM THE PERIOD OF HIS ACCEPTANCE 
OF YELLING, TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS CORRE- 
SPONDENCE WITH HIS SON. 



During the early part of the year 1770, Mr. Venn was 
incapacitated from all exertion by the alarming illness men- 
tioned in the Memoir, which was brought on by excessive 
labour in the discharge of his ministry. In the autumn of 
this year, he was recommended to try the effect of a journey 
to Bath. Whilst at that place, he received the offer of the 
living of Yelling, Huntingdonshire ; and immediately an- 
nounced the intelligence, in a few lines, to Mrs. Eiland ; but 
entered more fully upon the subject in the following Letter, 
written from London a few days afterwards. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, London, Nov. 17, 1770. 

I conclude you have, by this time, received my 
letter dated last Saturday. In that you will find I 
am Rector of Yelling. I wrote to you of this event 
the very day I received the account of it from the 
Lord Commissioner Smythe. I had received some 



154 mr. Venn's feelings and perplexity 

intimation of his design to prefer me, the Saturday 
before: upon which I immediately wrote to Lady 

, urging her to press for the nomination of my 

successor at Huddersfield ; and saying, in a few words, 
what I have ever thought of dear Mr. Riland — that 
he is one of the best creatures living upon earth. If 
he is not nominated, I hope, for my own sake, his 
faithful labours will be joined with my feeble efforts, 
to promote the glory of Emmanuel, in that new place 
to which I am called evidently by His providence. 

Nothing would have prevailed on me to leave 
Huddersfield, if my lungs had not received an irrepa- 
rable injury, of which I am more sensible, by several 

symptoms, than ever. What I feel in giving up 

the Huddersfield congregation, and especially your 
dear sister, and some like her, no words can sufficiently 
express : instead of being rejoiced at the providence, 
I barely feel resigned. Looking upon my dissolution 
as at no great distance, I go to Yelling as a dying 
man : and if I am to live a few years longer, I look 
upon this as the appointed means of continuing my 
life. What new trials and exercises of faith I shall be 
called to, my Lord only knows : this, I am sure, will 
be a great alleviation of them, if we all remove toge- 
ther ; for never shall I forget how much I owe to you 
both, and how much you have both shewn to me a 
truly-affectionate spirit. I beg my best love to Mr. 
Riland, to your sister and all friends. I am so much 
hurried, that I have no time to write to any but your- 
self at Huddersfield. — Adieu, my dear friend ! 



From yours, &c. 



H. Venn . 



ABOUT LEAVING HUDDERSFIELD. 



155 



It was not to be expected that the tender and sacred bonds 
which united Mr. Venn with his flock at Huddersfield could 
be severed, without exciting deep regret on both sides : but 
the trial was rendered more severe, in consequence of some of 
his friends in that place disapproving of his removal. This 
drew from him the following touching appeals, which equally 
display his meekness and tenderness of conscience. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, London, Nov. 27, 1770. 

How much I have suffered, these last few 

days ! and what will be my final determination, I am 
not now able to say : for, though I was quite clear, 
that, from my utter inability to do much in my office, 
I was not to continue in so large a sphere of action, 
yet when you write to me that the dear people 
suffer so much, and that there is no likelihood of a 
successor, such as I could wish — when I consider, 
also, the separation which must take place from two 
of the very dearest friends I have, and the extreme 
smallness of the parish I am presented to — I am in 
great perplexity. I am looking up, with earnest 
cries, to Him who has Himself most strictly charged 
us not to turn the blind out of his way ; and who, 
therefore, will surely inform and direct His poor, 
sinful creatures, who call upon Him. I should be 
glad if you, my dear friend, would write your whole 
mind, and tell me whether there are many who seem 
to feel it would be a great loss to them, were the 
Gospel to be removed; and whether there is any 
likelihood that some faithful pastor will be provided. 
Did I believe it my bounden duty, and the thing most 



156 



mr. Venn's perplexity, 



pleasing to God, that I should not remove, I should 
be happy ; and, let what would be the consequence, I 
would not remove. My mind is ready to say, upon 
seeing the distance of Yelling from any market-town 
(which is much farther than I was told), and the thin- 
ness of the inhabitants, that I had better speak but a 
year or two to thousands, and have my work finished. 
On the contrary, when I consider the pain I have long 
felt in my mind, to live for years, doing so little, where 
so much was to be done — when I consider how very 
soon dear Mr. Riland may leave me — I stagger, on 
the other hand. Will dear Mr. Riland agree not to 
leave me, if I stay at Huddersfield ? Write to me, 
without fail, by the return of post, and answer this 
query. Give my love to dear Mr. Riland. I do not 
love him the less for his letter, nor believe his affection 
for myself is diminished. Oh, that I had wings like a 
dove ! I long to be one day at Huddersfield : yet so 
were the time and circumstances of this presentation 
ordered, that it was impossible for me, without an 
absolute refusal, to send for your advice. My love to 
all friends. I am hurried almost out of my life, and 
should not wonder if I were taken ill. Adieu ! 
Believe me, in bonds not to be broken. 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 
DEAR SIR, Brompton Grove, Nov. 29, 1770. 

I was almost afraid of opening your Letter. 
" Strange ! " you will say, when no one's letters are 
so welcome. The truth is, I knew the contents before 
I opened it ; and I have suffered so much upon the 
subject, that my life is bitter to me. The cup was 



AND REASONS FOR LEAVING HUDDERSFIELD. 157 

full before ; and this made it overflow. The best 
lights I can give you, you shall have, in order to 
judge of my conduct. 

In the year 1765, I had determined, in my own 
mind, never to change my situation. I had no sooner 
done so, than, in the February following the De- 
cember in which I had made the resolution, the com- 
plaint in my chest increased so much, that I was 
able to do next to nothing for seven months. This 
complaint, through my own unpardonable length 
and loudness in speaking, has not mended, but gTOwn 
worse and worse. Many sensible proofs I have had 
of it ; so much so, as absolutely to refuse an offer 
which was made, of trying to secure Halifax for me, 
three years ago ; which refusal was grounded on a 
consciousness that I was too enfeebled for any such 
charge. I have also found, every succeeding year, 
that I am more and more hurt by speaking : and 
therefore, as I am privileged to do, I made my prayer 
to the God of my life and my salvation, to provide 
for me, now unequal to the blessed charge entrusted 
to me. I did this the more constantly, as I saw my 
beloved assistant begin to stoop under the weight of 
his work; unable myself to afford any more help. 
Without any expectation of such an event, the living 
falls — the Lord Commissioner thinks of me : un- 
certain if the power of presenting to it might not 
be taken away in a few days, he desires my answer. 
Clearly convinced that this was an answer to prayer, 
and a very small parish indeed, suited to my lungs, 
I accepted the offer. Lucrative views were not of 
force to determine me : and so it will be found ; for, 
all things considered, the increase of income will 
not be many pounds, and the increase of trials will 



158 PERPLEXITY ON LEAVING HUDDERSFIELD. 

be very grievous : for, instead of a large congregation, 
the glory of the country, I shall have very few — and, 
probably, such is the thinness of the inhabitants, 
never many ; — instead of yourself and some other dear 
companions in the way, I shall be very solitary ; — in- 
stead of the love wherewith I am loved at Hudders- 
field, I shall give offence, and be always five or six 
miles from any conversable people. 

Since I have received some accounts from the dear 
place of my best days, I am greatly perplexed — I am 
torn asunder — I am sick at heart — I know not what 
to determine. The leadings of Providence seem to 
point one way : the care of the dear souls, who have 
been called under me, another. My love for them 
makes me wish to live and die with them : the total 
inability I am under of doing a quarter of the busi- 
ness of the place, seems to say, ' You must retire : 
your work is over there. 5 Were I to consult my own 
ease and peace, I should never stir from Huddersfield. 
In this sad perplexity of mind, I am, without ceasing, 
looking to my Lord : I am begging to have my way 
made quite plain. — I can appeal to Him, that I would 
not act from any motive I should blush to have laid 
open in the sight of men and angels. And must I 
not trust, and not be afraid, that He will direct me 
aright ? I am sometimes ready to cast the lot for a 
decision in this matter. Pity me ! O my friend, pity 
me ! Pray for me, that I may not be suffered to take 
a step for which I shall condemn myself at any future 
season. 

Your much indebted and affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 



VISIT TO HULL. JOSEPH MILNER. 159 



On Easter-day, March 30, 1771, Mr. Venn preached his 
farewell sermon to his flock at Huddersfield. His text was 
Col. iii. 11:" Christ is all, and in all." During that week, 
he finally quitted the place, and spent the next month in 
visiting different friends. The following letter was written 
during this journey. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 

Peterborough, April 30, 1771. 

Though I could not give, my dear friend, an account 
beforehand of my stages, I shall make up that defi- 
ciency with a recital of the whole afterwards. 

I wrote to you on Tuesday last, from Hull. Mr. 
Jesse met me at Malton, and accompanied me as far as 
Hull : he is a very excellent man ; and seems ap- 
pointed to evangelize the Wolds ; the inhabitants of 
which are dark almost as the Indians. At Hull, I was 
transported by hearing Mr. Milner, on the Wednesday. 
In my judgment, he is, by much, the ablest minister 
that I ever heard open his mouth for Christ : indeed, 
his abilities are of the very first rate. I did not de- 
sign to force myself upon him ; but it gave me the 
highest joy when he came up to me, as I was reading 
the monuments in the church, and, with all the frank- 
ness of Mr. Kershaw, invited me to spend the evening 
with him. This was at the hazard of his character ; 
for there were persons at church who knew me, and 
seemed not a little gratified that Mr. Milner gave such 
a proof of his Methodism. The evening, Mr. Jesse 
and I spent with him. It answered all I expected 
from the blessed sermon. I conversed much with him. 
He had deep impressions of religion when a child ; 



160 MR. ADAM, OF WINTRINGHAM. 

and rightly observed, "I must go back to my thirteenth 
year ; when I was waiting upon the Lord, without 
any reasonings of my own." 

I went, on the evening of Thursday, to Wintringham. 
The dear, blessed man inquired cordially after you. 
At Wintringham, though desired to preach, I refused ; 
and have now been four Sabbaths silent. Though I 
cannot say I am likely to recover, I am better, and 
feel much less pain in my chest. At Wintringham, I 
met with a young clergyman, who, some months since, 
was a careless and worldly character. Dear Mr. Adam 
talked to him so affectionately, that, through the grace 
of God, the young man is now beginning to preach 
the Word of Life. He came with me as far as Lin- 
coln, thirty-four miles, and spent the evening with 
me. I spoke much to him, and went to prayer at the 
conclusion. I left him this morning at five, and have 
ridden fifty-two miles since. It has been a happy day 
indeed ! — happy, in almost perpetual prayer — happy, 
in being able to present you and yours at the Throne 
of Grace. What though the way is quite lonely — 
over a heath of sixteen miles, without a house in 
sight — the river which maketh glad the city of God 
flowed round about me : and when I sang one of the 
songs of Zion, I had you and all my spiritual children 
with me ; so that I could experience what St. Paul 
declared, and understood it perfectly: "Though 
absent," says he, " in the flesh, yet am I with you in 
spirit, joying and beholding your order." I conclude, 
therefore, this blessed day in the most pleasing manner 
I can — except in conversing with my dear friend, — 
in writing to her ; and if I knew more of myself than 
she will allow, I could venture to say, that if ever this 
correspondence droops, it will do so on her side. 



THE SAVIOUR^ CARE OF HIS CHURCH. 161 

Happy have I been this day : perhaps the next will 
be a dark and cloudy one. One thing only is un- 
changeable — the love of God to His elect, and the 
work of Jesus for them. To Him I commend you 
and yours, and remain 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 

Brompton Grove, May 10, 1771. 

Though here I meet with abundant favour in 

the sight of God's children, it does not cause me to 
grow cool to the affections of my flock. I, in my 
chiefest joy, think of those whose delight was in the 
House of the Lord, where His name was proclaimed. 
I am sorrowful for them ; yet always rejoicing. I 
am ready to wish (though it is folly) that I had not 
been disabled — that my strength had been preserved. 
I rejoice in this, that those whom the Good Shepherd 
found on the mountain of sin, and brought by the 
power of His grace, with all gladness, into His fold, 
He will bear up to the last, and bring them to His 
heavenly kingdom. How exact is His knowledge of 
them, in their persons, trials, and states ! To Him it 
belongs — and He will do it — to feed them with the 
knowledge of His covenant, His righteousness, His 
relation to them, and His love. In the heat of temp- 
tation, persecution, or prevalent corruption, it is His 
office to give them rest in Himself, to exert His pro- 
vidence in their defence, to watch over them, to speak 
comfortably to them, and, by a frequent glimpse of 
His eternal glory, to make them patient in tribulation, 
and joyful through hope. To Him I day by day com- 
mend them ; and feel, sometimes, I have audience 
before the Throne of Grace. 

M 



162 DISSENTING CHAPEL AT HUDDERSFIELD. 

My dear friends in London are much afraid my 
Yorkshire friends should have been severe in censu- 
ring me. I tell them, not. I tell them, where a 
people had loved much, and had profited much, they 
could not say less. I tell them, I have never suffered 
one hour's distress, but on their account, because they 
are grieved ; — not from the least doubt whether I have 
followed the leadings of Providence. 

The glorious Gospel prospers. Good news from 
Oxford — many young men there ! " Yet have I set 
my King upon my holy hill of Zion." — The powerful 
voice of this King may you hear ! His love may you 
feel ! And may your tongue be as the pen of a ready 
writer, to relate His glory I 



After Mr. Venn left Huddersfield, the people who had 
profited by his preaching were repelled from the parish-church 
by discourses which formed a marked contrast to those they 
had lately heard within the same walls ; so that they were 
dispersed in various directions; some to neighbouring churches, 
some to dissenting chapels. Several of them, at length, 
determined upon building a chapel, in the hope that they 
might be united together in one body, under a pastor of their 
own choice. Mr. Venn gave his sanction and assistance to 
this plan, and advised the people to attend the chapel after 
it was built. It was his first hope, that the Liturgy would 
be used in the new chapel at Huddersfield. Writing to a 
friend, he says : " You, and all the people, know how I love 
the Liturgy, and would a thousand times prefer it to any 
other way of worship." But in this, and in many m ore im- 
portant respects, his expectations were disappointed. In a 
short time, also, another Vicar came to the livin g ; from 



mr. Venn's love for the liturgy. 163 



whose instructions he would never have wished his people 
to secede: but few, comparatively, returned to the parish- 
church. 

It must not be inferred, from these circumstances, that he 
was an advocate for dissent in general, or that his attachment 
to the Church of England was equivocal : his intimate friends 
unanimously testify, that he cordially and zealously espoused 
the interests of the Church, and, especially, that his venera- 
tion for the Liturgy was of the most exalted kind. In a 
letter, written to the Rev. Mr. Powley, one of his former 
curates, whom he had presented to a chapel at Huddersfield, 
and who faithfully remonstrated with him upon this occasion 
lie thus vindicates his attachment to the Church. 



How often have I declared my utmost veneration 
for the Liturgy ! How often in your hearing, how 
often in the church, declared the superior excellency, 
in my judgment, of the Liturgy to every mode 
of worship, not only amongst the Dissenters, but that 
had ever been in the Church of Christ, as far as I had 
knowledge ! Nay, more than once have I said, I 
never was present at any meeting where I perceived 
the power of godliness as amongst the congregations 
of our Church, where the Gospel is preached. Now, 
after all this, I think, in justice, you ought to have 
supposed me as much a friend to the Church of 
England as yourself. — I have long, you know, had to 
combat with the senseless prejudices against our Form ; 
and see plainly the advantage Satan makes of these 
prejudices, and lament it. But this evil, compared 
with the sort of religion taught now by some of the 
clergy, appears to me but small. One lays waste the 
m 2 



164 



PREACHING IN 



grand fundamental truth ; the other only exhibits it in 

a less edifying manner. On Saturday, I dined with 

our Bishop. I find he has no objection to a revisal 
and alteration of the Liturgy. This change will 
one day, I fear, take place ; and then the measure of 
our iniquities will be full, when we have cast the doc- 
trine of Christ out of the public worship, avowedly as 
a nation. May we be the more zealous and active, 
according to the utmost of our strength ; encouraging 
and comforting both each other and our flocks with the 
certain success of the Gospel, in spite of earth and hell ! 



I will here also refer to another circumstance, which is 
naturally connected with this subject. During Mr. Venn's 
residence at Yelling, he occasionally preached in neighbouring 
parishes, at the houses, and, in some few instances, in the 
barns of the farmers ; and, in his visits to London, he officiated 
at the chapel of the Rev. Rowland Hill. With respect to 
these irregular ministrations, I am furnished with the senti- 
ments of my father, recorded in a detached form, but with 
the intention of their being inserted in the Memoir. I intro- 
duce them, however, in this place, because they equally apply, 
in their general tenor, to the case of the chapel at Hudders- 
field ; and I gladly avail myself of the opportunity of ex- 
pressing my own feelings, with respect to that transaction, 
as well as with respect to his preaching in unconsecrated 
places, by simply recording my entire concurrence in the 
spirit of the remarks which follow. 



" Were I to deliver a panegyric agreeable to my own 
views of that excellent man, in whom I every day saw 



UNCONSECRATED PLACES. 



165 



something' new to admire and honour, I should draw 
a veil over what I am going to relate. But the faith- 
fulness of an historian compels me to do violence to 
the feelings of a son. His mind was naturally ardent ; 
and he was of a temper to be carried out by zeal, 
rather than to listen to the cold calculations of prudence. 
Influenced by the hope of doing good, my father, in 
certain instances, preached in unconsecrated places. 
But having acknowledged this, it becomes my pleasing 
duty to state, that he was no advocate for irregularity 
in others ; that when he afterwards considered it, in 
its distant bearings and connexions, he lamented that 
he had given way to it, and restrained several other 
persons from such acts by the most cogent arguments ; 
and that he lived long enough to observe the evils of 
schism so strongly, that they far outweighed in his 
mind the present apparent good." 



In the month of July 1771, Mr. Venn was married to his 
second wife, Mrs. Smith. The two following letters were 
written to this lady previous to their union, but after she 
had accepted his offer of marriage. He was at this time 
travelling in Yorkshire ; but did not visit Huddersfield. 



Upper Thorp, near Dewsbury, 
June 25, 1771. 
Perhaps my dear friend has written again, though 
my removals have prevented me from receiving the 
favour. But I can never want a subject, either for 
discourse or for a letter, whilst you have a heart to 
delight in the things of God. I have already sent 
you some thoughts on that freedom and simplicity 



166 



FREEDOM IN PRAYER. 



with which the faithful in Christ Jesus ought to 
address the Lord God Almighty — That neither the 
sense of our manifold offences, nor the poor stam- 
mering tongue with which we can speak, nor the 
coldness and deadness of our hearts, ought to dis- 
courage us, or beget in us the least doubt of the 
Lord's hearing our requests : for, indeed, very small 
in His sight must be the difference between the 
wisest and the most ignorant — between this saint, 
who with a peculiar fluency mentions every circum- 
stance, and that, who is almost at a loss for words 
of any kind. He looketh only to the heart, which 
dictates the prayer, and often is full of the spirit of 
prayer when utterance is greatly wanting. 

With respect to the subject-matter of prayer, it 
ought to vary with our temptations, feelings, and 
various wants : for, as the main design of prayer is 
not to inform the Omniscient, but to make us sensible 
of our own indigence and absolute dependence upon 
God for all, this design can never be so well pro- 
moted as by a familiar, and very particular, enume- 
ration of those things which concern us. For in- 
stance : I thankfully acknowledge His faithfulness, 
in answering according to my petitions, and giving 
me, in you, all I could wish, in a friend, in a wife ; — 
that when I was going to fix in a solitary place, no 
longer able to serve in a large and populous one, He 
should indulge me with a companion of peculiar 
talents, to entertain and enliven the solitude. It was 
a great and pernicious error, which first was set on 
foot by formality and superstition, to make men con- 
ceive of Jehovah, not as a loving Father, but a great 
and awful Being only, before whom they were not 
thus familiarly to speak. 



BISHOP HILDESLEY. 



167 



I have just now received your letter of the 22d. 
A thousand thanks for it! though it made me much 
regret my being absent when the good bishop * was 
with you. I longed before to have seen him : but 
to have seen him at your table, and talked freely and 
fully about the grand matter of all, would have been 
a high gratification. If we live, I shall hope for 
many such interviews ; in which, your being one of 
the party will enliven me more : and seeing you en- 
joy the discourse, will make it doubly delightful to 
myself. 

Before this, you will be able to tell all our friends 
when, by God's leave, I shall be in town. Indeed, 
I think it long ; and I shall stay but one night at 
Yelling, and there leave the children. Inclosed you 
receive a letter from my boy. It is his own en- 
tirely ; for I always choose to have them express 
themselves in their own way. I dare almost venture 
to promise that you will have little trouble from 
him. Pray give my dutiful love to your mother ; 
and tell her, if she loves a warm room, her apartment 
at Yelling will in that respect please. Remember me 
to our dear friends in the Grove. I did fully purpose 
to write to them both, when I set out ; but so many 
are my engagements, that I can find no time to write 
to any one, but to that person most esteemed and 
beloved by me, whose I am in the best bonds, and to 
whom I would ever fervently pray I may approve 
myself a most affectionate and tender friend and 
husband. 

Adieu, my dear friend ! From yours, &c. 

H. Venn. 

* Dr. Hildesley, Bishop of Sodor and Man. 



168 



FEELINGS IN THE PROSPECT 



TO MRS. SMITH. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, York, June 28, 1771. 

How glad am I that this is the last letter I hope to 
write to you for a long time ! for when this reaches 
you, I shall be on my way to Yelling 1 . If I do not 
see you (God willing) on Friday, it will not be my 
fault; but I rather fear I shall not, till Saturday. 
Long was I very backward to think of entering again 
into the married state, though so blessed in my first 
connexion : but the gracious God, whom I serve, and 
whose I am, has provided for me one of His own 
elect (I doubt not). I have not yet seen Dr. Conyers ; 
but I shall be there this evening ; where you will 
also be present, as much as it is possible for an absent 
person to be so. You will do what, if present, you 
would not — engross all the conversation. I begin to 
feel much more concern than I did at first, lest my 
children should give you trouble ; for just in the same 
proportion as I value and love you (and that is just in 
proportion as I know you) I must feel every thing that 
may in any degree affect you. And I say to myself, 
• Oh, how should I be able to bear it, if I was to see 
my dear wife in tears, or void of that sweet cheerfulness 
and vivacity of spirit which so distinguishes her, by 
any of my children, to whom she has so kindly shewn 
herself a friend indeed V I hope it will not be so ; 
and if prayer can avail to prevent such a trial from 
coming upon her, she will never experience any sorrow 
on my account, or those belonging to me, but by our 
departure. 

You may remember how pleasantly you said 
Hogarth would describe our courtship. — In what light 
would the world regard my letters ! Strange love- 



OF HIS SECOND MARRIAGE. 



169 



letters indeed! Oh, did they but know how much 
more blessed are the faithful in Christ, in every rela- 
tion of life, than themselves, the love of present en- 
joyment would make them converts to the faith. But 
all this is hid from their eyes. They cannot under- 
stand how a solid acquaintance with a Crucified Sa- 
viour diffuses an influence through the whole of life, 
and renders the husband, the wife, the father, the 
master, the servant, the child, the friend, a very dif- 
ferent creature, and far more excellent than what he 
would be otherwise. 

I beg my love to your mother. Tell her, I pray 
for her every day, and that I may love her, and study 
to make her last days as easy and cheerful as possible,, 
John desires, from his heart, to be remembered to you ? 
with the most dutiful affection. 

I am yours ever, in the best bonds. 

H. Venn* 



The next letter introduces a new correspondent to our 
notice — the Rev. James Stillingfleet, who at this time held 
the Chapel of Bierley, in the parish of Bradford, and shortly 
after became Rector of Hot ham, near Market- Weighton, 
Yorkshire. He was the descendant of the learned and cele- 
brated bishop of that name ; and the intimate friend of 
Joseph Milner, who composed the greater part of his Church 
History in his friend's study at Hotham. 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
DEAR SIR, Yelling, Aug. 5, 1771. 

Your affectionate epistle found me in due time. 
Many thanks are due to you for it. It found me 



170 



HUDDERSFIELD AND YELLING. 



under " great searchings of heart," upon the point of 
beginning my ministry in this place. What a change, 
from thousands, to a company of one hundred ! — from 
a people generally enlightened, and many converted, 
to one yet sitting in darkness, and ignorant of the first 
principles of the Gospel! — from a house resounding 
with the voice of thanksgiving, like the noise of many 
waters, to one where the solitary singers please them- 
selves with empty sounds, or gratify their vanity by 
the imagination of their own excellence ! — from a 
Bethel to myself and many more, to a nominal worship 
of the God of Christians ! A change painful indeed ! 
yet, unavoidable. With a heavy heart, therefore, did 
I yesterday begin to address my new hearers. I 
preached both morning and evening ; and never to a 
more attentive audience ; — in the afternoon, to four 
times the number that were ever in the church before. 
But what will make you wonder, my dear friend, I 
spoke within the hour three minutes, both times put 
together ! and yet I feel much hurt ; and am ready to 
conclude I shall not long be able to speak, even in 
this whispering church, If I am, it appears, from the 
effect to-day, I shall not want hearers. The will of 
the Lord, I hope to say cheerfully, be done ! Yet, of 
all trials I have ever known, this of having the trea- 
sure which is ordained to enrich to all eternity the 
souls of men, and not strength of voice to declare and 
to communicate it to our dear fellow-creatures, is one 
of the most severe. May you understand this, and be 
wise in time ! I am persuaded we do wrong to outdo 
our strength. As far as it will reach and last, spare 
not. I would — were it lawful to wish for any thing 
— wish for lungs of brass and flesh of iron, to rest not, 
day or night, publishing the glad tidings, saying to 
sinners, Behold your God ! 



DEEP SENSE OF SIN. 



171 



I was sorry to hear of your disappointment. Tri- 
bulation, of one kind or other, is our lot. In vain do 
we imagine we shall escape it. I sympathize with 
you in the feeling of a heart desperately wicked. 
Once I thought some humiliating expressions of the 
saints of God too low for me — proud, blind wretch as 
I was ! Now I can say, with Edwards, " Infinite 
upon infinite only reaches to my sinfulness ! 33 

I thank you for your prayers. I often entreat my 
God to remember me according to the intercession of 
many of my dear friends and His dear children. Con- 
tinue to do me this kindness, and to write to me fre- 
quently. I answer this the next post but one, to 
prove my desire of your correspondence. I shall 
rejoice to hear from you ; and more, to see you. The 
Lord increase your soul in light, life, strength, and 
peace ! From yours, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Aug. 10, 1771. 

I received your last letter on Thursday. Alas ! 
what a distressing account ! * It made my very heart 
sick. Oh ! what shall we say to such things as these ? 
— a man in all other respects, ever since he made 
profession, so very well-behaved. As far as my in- 
fluence can reach, you may be sure it will concur with 
yours. Little prospect is there of any success : for 
how seldom do we see counsel taken ! I am wounded 
to the heart ; for I well know with what force the 
conclusion is drawn against God and His doctrine. 
Indeed, these are the things which defeat, in a great 

* One of Mr. Venn's late hearers at Huddersfield had acted in a 
way unbecoming the religious character he had long sustained. 



172 INSINCERE PROFESSORS OF RELIGION. 

measure, all our labours of love ! Too many pro- 
fessors of religion are, alas ! so much like other people, 
that the world can see no manner of difference, except 
in a zeal for doctrines, and the use of the means. 
Well ! all we can say is, " The foundation standeth 
sure : the Lord knoweth them that are His : and, let 
every one who nameth the name of Christ depart from 
iniquity"; — unless he would have this naming the 
name of Christ the greatest aggravation of his guilt. 

I came here last night, sadly tired with my ride 
from Knightsbridge, though I took a chaise one stage. 
One week more, and, if I have life, I shall be able to 
say, next week I shall be settled with my whole family 
in a new place, and in a new situation : consequently, 
sure to be attended with new crosses : for the righteous 
decree of Heaven must take effect, " In sorrow shalt 
thou eat thy bread, all the days of thy life." You will 
have heard of my preaching here last Sunday. The 
people were very attentive. But I have but little 
pleasure now, in comparison of what I had when I 
began at dear Huddersfield. Then I concluded the 
success of the preached Gospel was great indeed : now 
I see, in an awful light, that very many are called, 
but few chosen. I see, what we account very extra- 
ordinary conversions, turn out to be nothing. May 
all the evil we feel, and all the evil we see, work in us 
humility, watchfulness, and a desire, if it please God, 
to be taken to the land of righteousness ! 

I came here without a frank ; so that you must pay 
postage for a letter which brings you nothing for your 
money, but a testimony that I am exceedingly grieved 
at the misery of man, and the sad occasion of offence 
given by those who are lifted up to notice by their 
coming out from the world. My sister and the child- 



COMMENCEMENT OF MINISTRY AT YELLING. 175 

ren desire their love. They are all well, I thank God ! 
May the peace of God dwell in your heart ! 

From your ever affectionate father in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

MY DEAR FRIEND, 

I thank you for the accounts from Huddersfield. 
I have a ^connexion with many there, which I trust 
will last through all eternity ! I could serve them no 
longer. The different effect I feel now, from preach- 
ing twice a day, is very remarkable. I neither cough, 
nor am fatigued after the Sabbath is over. 

Here I begin to see all that I saw at Huddersfield 
— amazement, attention, conviction, tears, and a vast 
increase of hearers, for a country so desert as this is, 
where a hundred is more than a thousand in your 
place of habitation. The old clerk, who is as old as 
James Booths father, told me we should empty all 
the. churches round about. You, and my dear brother, 
your husband, will be glad to hear how I proceeded. 
The first Sunday I preached on Rom. x. 1. (as I did at 
Huddersfield) two discourses. The second on Rev. 
xx. * The throne was set, and the books were opened/ 
The third Sunday, on ' Jesus Christ the same, to re- 
ceive the vilest, &c/ Yesterday, ' On the sinfulness 
of sin/ Though the rain was heavy, many were pre- 
sent to hear.— Such honour is Jesus pleased to put 
upon me, a sinful man, because desirous to preach His 
glory ! — I see two of the parish under evident concern : 
one of them is my assistant's wife. Oh, that they 
might, in the great affair, be like you and yours ! My 
assistant is often much affected, when I am preaching. 
Soon I shall hope to have a conversation with him. 



174 



SOLITUDE OF YELLING. 



The singers here are very celebrated : one, parti- 
cularly, sings, amongst the first, at all the Oratorios. 
I have therefore a difficult point to manage with them. 
I have, however, obtained this much — they sing my 
Collection of Psalms : they give out every line ; and 
a very few voices begin to join them. Last night, the 
chief singer, who is also a principal farmer, spent the 
evening with me, and was at our family-prayer. 

I hope to write by this post to your dear sister ; 
if not, present my love, and tell her I never think 
of her but with thankfulness to God ; and could wish, 
were it lawful to wish, that she were a neighbour to 
Mrs. V. 

My love to Mr. R. Remember us on Friday, when 
we shall fix in our dwelling. 

From your ever affectionate father in Christ, 

H. Venn. 



It may be worth remarking, that Mr. Venn travelled, 
during several successive weeks, from London to Yelling, and 
back, to preach on the Sundays, though he had a resident 
Curate, in the hope that he might collect a congregation 
before the winter set in. 



TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Sept. 7, 177 '1. 

After five months' perpetual itinerancy, last Tuesday 
but one we came to our new residence, and to a scene 
of life perfectly new to Mrs. V. Twenty years ago I 
was accustomed to solitude ; and I believe no one was 
ever happier in it. Though I was then seeking to 



mr. venn's congregation at yelling. 175 

enter into life, by keeping the commandments, yet do 
I still remember the hours of delightful devotion, the 
earnest supplications I was offering up for a heart 
dead to every thing but God. I am sometimes won- 
dering how I could be so blind, and yet so comfort- 
able ; and am myself a witness, w hat pains a man may 
take to go to heaven, and yet be quite in the dark. I 
have now my lot cast again in the depth of retirement ; 
which I apprehended would be irksome to me, after 
so long an experience of the sweets of Christian friend- 
ship, and the comforts of the nearest and dearest union 
on earth. My Father and my God foresaw this ; and, 
in His wonted compassion, He provided for me a 
helpmeet, a friend indeed ; who, instead of being hurt 
by the change from Knightsbridge and many dear 
intimates, to this solitude, is pleased with every thing, 
and finds out every advantageous circumstance, and 
dwells upon it. We are likely to be very much 
alone. How thankful ought I to be ! — and I entreat 
you, my dear friend, to pray that I may be so, for 
such a home. 

You will say, " Enough of this subject ! How does 
the grand business, on which you are sent, prosper ? 
Are your hearers increased ? Are they affected ?" — 
Adored be the name of our Immanuel ! they increase 
every Sabbath : but my audience is many degrees, 
in point of education and of condition, below my 
congregation at Huddersfield ; so that I am under 
a necessity of labouring to be very plain ; for even 
the manufacturers about you are rich and learned, 
compared with the peasants in this country. I find, 
therefore, it is very profitable to tell them stories. 
Indeed, the total inefficacy of the common strain uf 
preaching I ascribe, in part, to its being too studied. 



176 mr. Venn's congregation at yelling. 

and too general ; and whilst all the other sciences are 
flourishing and improving, because all the appeal is 
to experiments, in Divinity this only sensible method 
is quite neglected. I have several shepherds, and 
shepherd-boys, who attend: they prick up their ears 
when I am proving that a shepherd or his boy, though 
he cannot read a word, is not at all further removed 
from the knowledge and delightful enjoyment of God, 
than a scholar or a gentleman : they seem struck with 
the glad tidings, when I prove this to them by the in- 
stances of the poor shepherds of Bethlehem, the poor 
widow in the Gospel, and the slaves mentioned in 
1 Cor. xii. 13. As an instance, however, that the 
poor and ignorant can be fully as conceited as the 
rich, I met, two days ago, with one of my parishioners, 
eighty years of age : and upon beginning to talk with 
him, he said he had never met with a man in his life, 
who could tell him any thing he did not know. 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Nov. 22, 1771. 

See the danger of procrastination ! I designed to 
have sent you a letter upon your coming to Bierley 
from Worcestershire, yet delayed till I received your 
last. I thank you for it. When I can pray, I do not 
forget you ; but I find little of that lifting up of the 
soul — that breaking-forth with very fervent desire — 
that wrestling with God — which is the prayer to which 
such great promises belong. 

Your present situation I know perfectly well, having 
been in the same. The opposition you experience, 
I think, is no bad thing. The effect of preaching 
Christ may by this means be the longer before it 



OPPOSITION AND PREJUDICE TO BE EXPECTED. 177 

appears; but the opposition will prove as a wind — a 
sharp and cutting' wind — to drive away many who 
would be only false professors, which are the mill- 
stone about the neck of the Gospel — the great means 
of hardening the despisers of those who are good. 

The prejudices against the Gospel you find very 
strong. This is the case in all places. You would 
have found it the same at Bierley, if the 'Squire had 
not built the chapel. Our chief exercise is, to over- 
come, by meekness, patience, and love, by faith and 
prayer, this opposition. Were it right with us, our 
foes and their obstinacy would profit us exceedingly. 
How much indebted should you and I be to the 
perverseness, the blindness, and the anger of our 
opponents, and the opponents of the faith, if it made 
us resemble Jesus, or his prophet Jeremiah, or his 
apostle Paul — if we could weep in secret places — if 
we could pray, though not the whole night through, 
yet one whole hour through, in heaviness of heart, 
with strong cries and tears interceding for our con- 
demned, perishing fellow-sinners! You must not 
look to Pharaoh and his chariots behind, the Red Sea 
before, the Wilderness on each side ; but to the arm 
of the Lord, the faithfulness of His promise, His zeal 
for His own honour, His love for the people whom 
He has chosen. The greatest difficulty, in such a 
situation as we are both in, is to find out some way to 
rouse and awaken the attention of our people. This 
will be done by extraordinary labour, extraordinary 
attention to our parishioners, and extraordinary libe- 
rality. These are facts, which every poor man can 
judge of: and by these fruits, first a respect, then a 
regard — a general regard— ensues, and our word 
comes with more weight. 

N 



178 



MR. BERRIDGE. 



I am a melancholy instance of overdoing, in point 
of speaking. I would not, therefore, have you exceed 
your strength ; yet certainly you should use it all. 

Last Wednesday, Mr. Berridge was here, and gave 
us a most excellent sermon. He is a blessed man — 
a true Calvinist ; not hot in doctrine, nor wise above 
what is written, but practical, and experimental, 
Summer differs not more from winter than this dear 
man from what he was ten years ago: he is now 
broken in heart, yet fervent in spirit. 

I am glad you are likely to be rid of your tenant, 
in a peaceable way ; for nothing will be a greater bar 
to usefulness than a notion that you aim at getting 
money. My children desire their love. Pray for 
them, poor dear souls I I hear from Bath, that a 
young clergyman of some fortune is awakened, and 
will soon stand forth among the witnesses of Jesus, 
Remember me ; and believe me 

Your affectionate brother in the Gospel, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Jan. 8. 1772. 

Would it not astonish my dear friend, if I 

should ever do the whole duty of a Sabbath again ? 
Yet I am in such a confident expectation of this, that 
I have given my Assistant notice, that I shall want 
him no longer than till Midsummer : and I should 
have parted with him three months sooner, if I had 
not considered his family, and desired to give him 
time to obtain another curacy. Thus the strength I 
was praying for, four years before I left Yorkshire, is 
given me at Yelling. May I return it faithfully to 
the adorable Giver ! 



RESTORATION OF HEALTH. 



179 



You will scarcely believe me, I conclude, though I 
assure you that I have now been nearly five months 
here, and never but one night (to meet Mr. Thornton) 
out of the village ; and though week after week 
passes, and, except on a Sunday, we see nothing but 
trees and sheep, and a peasant or two passing" over the 
fields ; yet, that I am quite joyous on account of these 
circumstances ; and solitude is, to the full, as delicious 
as it used to be in the years 1751 and 1752. I sup- 
pose you have heard of the controversy between Mr. 
Fletcher, Shirley, &c. Who would not wish to be in 
a lonely village, to be free from such disputes ?— 



In a letter to Mr. Kershaw, of the same date, he alludes in 
a similar way to bis health : — 

I have not for twenty years known the health I at 
present enjoy. Pray for me, my beloved friend, that 
it may be sanctified! When I accepted Yelling, I 
accepted it as a providential retreat, that I might rest 
the remainder of my days, like one worn out in the 
service by much speaking. Little did I expect to 
speak again three hours on the Sabbath ! 

TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, May 9, 1772. 

Though I cannot be indulged with the pleasure of 
your company, I enjoy the privilege of presenting you 
before our most merciful and gracious God, as one of 
His elect — as the purchase of His own blood — and as 
a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. 
I think of the approaching hour of your confinement, 
and of your weakness, and feel for you; but I am 



180 



DIVINE SUPPORT IN TROUBLE. 



comforted in the covenant engagements of your 
Saviour, whose power is infinite, and the tenderness 
of His love equal to that power. He will inspire you 
with meekness and fortitude. True friendship ever 
proves itself in the hour of adversity, by rising in its- 
warmth, and exertion of every nerve, in proportion as 
its aid is wanted. With the Beloved and the Friend 
of the daughters of J erusalem, this is ever the case ; 
experience, from the beginning, has confirmed it : the 
Church of Christ has always had reason to say, and 
triumphed in the assurance, " I am persuaded that 
neither death, nor life, &c. shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord." " Be therefore of good cheer," saith the Lord. 
Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid, when 
promises, and oaths, and love divine, and angels, and 
the Holy Trinity, are all engaged, and all united, 
for thy help, and for thy salvation — all engaged to 
preserve thee, and make thee an everlasting mo- 
nument of grace ? O my dear friend ! how solid, 
how all-sufficient, how certain the support and conso- 
lation, in every time of difficulty or distress, as soon, 
and in the measure, our Lord sees good for the soul ! 

The short days are now gone ; the bad roads are 
grown dry ; but winter seems still to linger with us„ 
though this is the 9th of May. On Monday, Mrs. V. 
and my daughter Eling go with me to Cambridge for 
a few days. This is the first time we have left 
Yelling. I hope it may please God I may be of some 
service to the students ! I go for no other purpose. 

There is a Mr. there, who travelled a day 

with me when I went up to London. This gentleman 
has a church in Cambridge. I have seen him once, 
and would hope the Lord is leading him by the hand ; 



FAMILY PRAYERS. 



181 



but at present he is so very timorous — sees the diffi- 
culties, the discouragements, the enemies so many — 
that he is afraid I should do him a prejudice, by vi- 
siting him ; and yet says, whatever reproach my ac- 
quaintance may bring upon him, he shall be glad to 
see me. What power has evil shame over us ! What 
unbelief — what mean thoughts, not only of God, but 
of immortal souls and usefulness to men — have we, 
till light from above fills our understanding! But 
when I have been used for so many years to an inti- 
macy with those who have counted the cost, and set 
at nought both evil and good report, seeking with a 
single eye the glory of Christ, you cannot think how 
affecting it appears to me, to hear the censure of the 
world, and the little persecution we at this time are 
called to bear, mentioned as a grievous cross. 

More wonders from Yelling ! — I begin now to 
have my people every evening, precisely at seven, at 
family prayer : by which means I have a little congre- 
gation whilst the days are long, and we read a chapter 
and sing a hymn. But I find it a labour indeed to 
keep up a spiritual service — to have our meeting so- 
lemn — heart- affecting — any measure in it of rea 
prayer or praise. I find particular preparation neces- 
sary, and importunate cries, that the God of all grace 
would look down upon a company of poor sinners, 
and breathe upon us the breath of life ; that our souls 
may rise a little towards Him, our Father, our Por- 
tion, our End, and our All: yet answers to these 
petitions are not always given. I must be left to know 
the times and the seasons of Divine Influence are in 
His power ; and that He worketh in us, both to will 
and to do, of His own good pleasure. 

Mrs. Venn and the children all join in most earnest 



182 ^ WALKING WITH GOD. 

wishes for your safety, and will all rejoice in hearing 
good tidings. Love to Mr. Riland and my little 
god-daughter. 

From your ever affectionate pastor, 

H. Venn, 



I cannot suffer my readers to pass on, without pointing out 
to them, that the foregoing letter alludes to the commencement 
of Mr. Venn's intercourse with the young students at Cam- 
bridge, which was so eminently useful to the best interests of 
many amongst their number. 



TO WILLIAM WHITACRE, ESQ. 
(OF LOXGWOOD-HOUSE, NEAR HUDDERSFIELD.) 
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Sept, 30, 1772. 

I did not forget to inquire about the question you 
left with me, though I got no satisfaction. As to the 
terms of admission to the Lord's Table*, I find, by 
Joseph Scott, that they are settled — and settled in the 
dissenting way. Poor weak creatures are we ! and 
instead of allowing others to abound in their own 
judgment of things not determined in the Word of 
God, we are for binding them up to our own opinions. 

This instance, with a thousand more of human 
corruption, even amongst those who have a heart for 
God, is to teach us mutual forbearance and patience, 
and to lay all the stress, where alone it will answer, on 
our being recovered to enjoy the presence of God, to 
behold the glory of God, to feel His support, His pro- 
tection, and victorious arm, stretched out in our 
behalf : and thus to walk with him on earth, and en- 

* In the new Chapel at Huddersfield. 



AGAINST DOUBTING GOD'S LOVE. 183 

dure as seeing Him who is invisible. This is hard 
work ; — at least, I find it so : and this is our daily 
business, together with that of our particular calling. 
Against this walk with our God, the company of three 
armies, as it were — the world, the flesh, and Satan — 
fight continually. And be not discouraged, or vexed, 
though humbled, to feel how often you are drawn 
aside from the path your soul approves and loves to 
walk in — how often you feel bondage, when you pant 
for liberty ; — darkness, after light in your mind ; 
doubts, after sweet peace ; deadness, after life in your 
soul ; and a proneness to murmur, or to be displeased 
with the appointment of things so contrary to our 
desire, our convenience. These are the exercises of 
every individual of the Church, in the race which his 
merciful and loving God has marked out for him, in 
the course of Providence, to run. Some of Christ's 
flock have these exercises in more abundance than 
others ; some at the beginning, some in the middle, 
some at the conclusion of their race. But this is our 
consolation : " The Lord will give strength unto his 
people : the Lord will bless His people with peace." 

Does my dear friend say, " Ah ! but here is my 
doubt : Am I one of His people ? You are one by 
baptism — by education in His family — by repeated 
dedication of yourself to Him — by His special grace 
in calling you to the knowledge of Himself — by your 
desire of His pardoning love and joy, which so revives 
your fainting soul — by your uneasiness in feeling so 
much contrariety of will to His, and so much opposi- 
tion in your heart, corrupt and wicked by nature as it 
is. Fear not, therefore, nor enter into questioning 

and disputing about this matter. Only believe ; and 

pray for faith, and faith's increase. 



184 



DIVISIONS AMONG CHRISTIANS. 



I beg my respects to Mrs. Whitacre; and my 
prayers I would offer up for the choicest blessings to 
descend upon her. Mrs. V., the children, and whole 
family, send their love. I was much in hopes of being 
with you this winter ; but that cannot be ; as I am 
obliged to go to London early in the spring. 

Last Sunday was our feast-day; and the church 
was full — a sight never seen here before. But we 
want singers sadly. I think, if we could have some 
of our Huddersfield voices, these would be ashamed of 
their manner of singing, and with a loud voice begin 
to praise our God. 

May we meet soon, where all is harmony, love, and 
holiness, and the voice of the multitude as the voice of 
many waters ! 

From your affectionate, obliged, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. M. POWLEY. 

DEAR SIR, Yelling, Oct. 17, 1772. 

1 trust you go on well. Be not discouraged 

at the divisions you see around you, or the attempts 
that may be invidiously made against you. Even 
Moses was withstood ; and Paul had many enemies 
in the Church, who strove to make divisions. This 
was a principal consideration to make me cease to 
wonder, or even to expect it ever would be otherwise. 
And when to this consideration I added my own abun- 
dant and numberless instances of perverseness and 
frowardness of spirit against God, I began to grow 
contented, that things should be as they were. How- 
ever, there is this great consolation (and a great one 
it is indeed!) that faithful experimental preaching, 



YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE. 



185 



which is the fruit of prayer, study, and divine teaching, 
will always be attended to, will always prosper, and 
in time will outgrow all opposition, or at least see its 
efforts become more and more feeble. In every pos- 
sible situation, trials abound. You have much people ; 
and some of them will be contentious and self-con- 
ceited. Where there are shallow conceptions of Christ, 
slight convictions of sin, no experience of the sweet 
and solid state of mind which establishment in the 
faith produces, there will be always, or often, heat and 
noise, and dispute, and every evil temper. In my 
situation, I want people ; though the church is talked 
of all over the country, for the largeness of the con- 
gregation. I speak not to more than two hundred, 
sometimes three hundred : there are many of them at 
the distance of eight or ten miles. The one thing 
needful is, to be humbly resigned to the good will of 
the Lord, soberly attentive to our business, and 
lovingly enduring the frowardness of those who are 
out of the way. There are some excellent young men 
at college, who come to me from the University, as I 
was in hopes they would. Two are just gone out ; 
and three more are going. They have much of the 
wisdom of the Egyptians ; but, like Moses, are all for 
the service of the God of Israel. 

My children join in love to you, and in every good 
wish for your present and everlasting happiness. From 
yours affectionately, 

H. Venn. 



Mr. John Houghton, to whom the next letter is addressed, 
was an inhabitant of Huddersfield, who had heen awakened 
to a just sense of religion by Mr. Venn's preaching, and ever 



186 



PRECIOUSNESS OF THE SABBATH. 



entertained the most unfeigned regard for his late pastor. 
The letters to this correspondent will be read with peculiar 
interest, as exhibiting the feelings of Mr. Venn towards his 
late flock. I have understood there were many letters, of a 
similar kind, written to other persons at Huddersfield, which 
I regret that I have not been able to recover. 

TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. 
(WRITTEN ON A SUNDAY MORNING.) 

DEAR JOHN, Yelling, May 2, 1773. 

I never forget, on this holy day, the Church at 
Huddersfield. Rising early, I think I get the start, 
and am before the Throne of Grace, presenting you 
all, for the relief of your various wants, and for the 
abundant consolation of your souls in Christ Jesus, 
whilst many of you are upon your beds. This day, I 
trust, is precious to you. How ought we to prepare 
for it ! How deeply sensible should we be of our own 
inability to observe the day according to the will of 
God ! How foolish and besotted are we, on this day, 
if we do not use it to get a clearer knowledge of our 
manifold corruptions, a quicker sense of the evil of 
sin, a more delightful acquaintance with Christ Jesus, 
a greater deadness to the world, and a full assurance 
of our salvation when we leave it ! Be jealous of 
yourselves with a godly jealousy, in those respects : for 
though we cannot command the influences of the 
Holy Ghost, and often labour and toil in the use of 
the means, yet receive no consolation, behold little of 
the glory of God, and feel very superficial lamentation 
for our sins : nevertheless, in this way must we go on, 
to seek, and ask, and knock. I hope you press on to 
become eminent in holiness, to convince gainsayers, 



PRAYERS FOR HIS LATE FLOCK. 



187 



and the careless and indifferent, by your whole deport- 
ment, that a divine change has passed upon your soul 
— that there is a reality in all the truths which you 
maintain, and for the sake of which you have joined 
yourself to the Church of Christ. 

Dear Mr. Kershaw, who has been with me one 
single night, rejoiced my heart by giving such a good 
account of my dear people. My prayer often is, by 
myself, in my family, and with the people, that not 
one of you, who did run well, may be missing in the 
day when the Lord maketh up His jewels ; — that, as 
we have so often worshipped together before the 
Throne on earth, we may worship, through all eter- 
nity, before the Throne above. 

Pray give my love to your father, mother, wife, and 
brother ; to Mrs. Bird, Katherine Goddard, Abraham 
Littlewood, Mary Haigh, both the Hirsts, and Barbara, 
and all friends. My book, I trust, will be ready by 
Midsummer, if it is not the printer's fault. I hope 
the Lord will give it efficacy, and bless it, to guard 
you from all fatal mistakes ! 

The Lord bless your minister ! Give my love to 
him. From your affectionate father in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, July 13, 1773. 

Much am I affected, both with the confidence you 
have in my unfeigned regard for you, and the account 
you send me of your heavy trials. With respect to 
the former, be assured I did ever take pleasure in 
your company, and rejoiced in seeing the grace of 
God abundantly manifested in your ministry and in 



TRUE CHRISTIANS STILL IMPERFECT. 



your conversation. I am not therefore surprised, 
though I am grieved, for the crosses you meet with. 
It must be so. Nothing in this world shall we have 
to find contentment in, if we are Christ's : for what- 
ever it is which fully pleases, in that we shall take up 
our rest. Were the children of God what we expect, 
and they ought to be, we should fix our attention and 
our affections upon them. But they are frail and 
weak, corrupt and sinful, as ourselves: they have 
neither that love to God, nor to the brethren, they 
profess: some they have, without doubt; but, what 
through precipitate judgments, misconceptions, and 
imperceptible bias towards themselves, they often 
grieve and vex those they should comfort. 

How much of this has fallen to my share ! Though 
1 never doubted, but for a day or two, about my re- 
moval from Huddersfield, how did, how does, that 

dear good man, Mr. , judge of me ! — no more 

corresponding with me, than if I had turned apostate 
■ — no more allowing me to judge for myself, than if 
he had been endued with infallibility. Be not there- 
fore affected, when you find censures and condemnation 
of your conduct thrown out. It is enough that you 
can appeal to Him whom you serve, that your eye is 
single, and your heart cleaves to Him. It is enough 
that you are sensible of the danger to which you 
stand exposed, so as to cry unto Him, who delivers 
from the power of this present evil world. Be jealous 
of yourself, and daily use the means of grace ; and 
you will be brought through, shouting, " Grace ! 
grace ! 39 

You have had a time of growth for some years, 
without many trials ; but this cannot last. If ye are 
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then 



BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. 



189 



are ye bastards, and not sons. I am heartily sorry for 
the stroke that is come so unexpectedly upon you : yet 
it is admirable, that you are made more than con- 
queror — that you hear your best Friend, your never- 
failing one, say, as it were, " It is I ! be not afraid, or 
confounded ! What I do, you know not fully now ; 
but you shall know hereafter." Remember that noble 
saying of Luther : " Prayer, afflictions, and tempta- 
tions, make a minister of the Gospel." Thus exer- 
cised, we learn, from our own experience, the truth 
we read before in the Bible. Our own weakness and 
frowardness, the supports and consolations of faith, 
and the many arts of the great enemy, are manifested 
to us. When we have been tempted long, and in 
various ways, and to our great distress, we are enabled 
to speak with a winning tenderness, and know how to 
have compassion upon the tempted. Thus I look upon 
you, my beloved friend and brother, as now in the 
consecrated furnace ; as in the Refiner's fire ; as 
weaning from the world — by a demonstration, that the 
sweetest blessings, which it has to give, are as a 
dream, when one awake th. Henceforth, with in- 
creasing ardour you will pursue what is substantial, 
and value it the more, in proportion as you feel all is 
vanity, beside Jesus, and Him Crucified. Always 
shall I be glad to hear from you ; and should be more 
glad to see you. I beg of you never to measure my 
regard by my letters. I have been so busied about 
my book, that I have scarcely written to any body. I 
believe I may say, I shall write no more for the 
public : I am sick of my own performances, though 
still full of self-love. The Prophecy of Zacharias is 
the ground- work from whence I bring my proof of 
the mistakes which are exposed. I am much com- 



190 



" DUTY OF MAN." 



forted by the news I receive, from several quarters, of 
the good the " Duty of Man " is doing. Prayer has 
been made for this work, that the thoughts, the style, 
manner, and spirit, might be acceptable, and the 
unction of the Holy One crown the work. 

Mr. SutclifiVs ill health will not suffer him to attend 
to his school. John, therefore, has left him, indebted 
to his care and kindness beyond what I can express. 
I was at a loss where to find a master ; but have de- 
termined, at length, to put him under Mr. Milner, at 
Hull, for a year. If you go there, I hope you will 
call upon him. He seems, indeed, to be all I could 
wish, and still continues fixed in his choice of being a 
preacher of Christ. Give my love to dear Mr. Adam. 
I know of no curate whom I could recommend to 
him, or I should have written to him. The Lord ever 
bless you ! From yours affectionately, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS WHELEK. 
DEAR MADAM, Yelling, Dec. 7, 1773. 

At length I shall be able to discharge some part of 
the debt, which you may long have expected from me ; 
though your kindness and friendship have laid me 
under such obligations as can never be returned by 
me. My book, which I have taken much pains in 
composing, is now ready to be sent down into the 
country ; and you and your sister will shortly receive 
your copies. 

I look upon you, and dear Mrs. Medhurst, as hasten- 
ing, with a number of my precious friends, to our 
better country, where we shall be no more parted. It 
is this consideration which fills my heart with joy, in 
that state of separation I am placed in by my gracious 



TRANSPORTING VIEWS OF FUTURE GLORY. 191 

Master, from many much-beloved friends. Some most 
sweet hours indeed I find, when, walking in perfect 
stillness, and solitude, I make mention by name of 
every one of my particular friends and benefactors — 
benefactors, either by their example, their counsel, 
their liberality, or their works ; thanking God for 
them, and begging the increase of His grace in their 
souls, and of usefulness in their lives. Sometimes, the 
joy of my soul overflows, in the transporting view of 
what is reserved for us as our inheritance. Oh ! with 
what different eyes shall we one day admire Him, of 
whom we have spoken together, as our God and 
Saviour ! With what different ears shall we hear His 
gracious voice ! with what different hearts feel our 
debt to Him — the deliverance from so great a misery, 
and so total a depravity ! 

The Swiss have a certain longing, which comes 
upon them, at times, to see their own country again. I 
can feel something of this, I assure you, respecting 
Yorkshire ; and as soon as I am at liberty, I shall visit 
my friends there ; — when that will be, I cannot say. 
My church is small, and my congregation not larger 
than that at Kippax, though four times as large as when 
I came here. Though I have joy over some, I much 
need your prayers, that I may see " the lighting down 
of the Lord's arm," the revelation of His glory, and 
the enjoyment of His love amongst the people. — Dear 
Mr. Berridge preaches for me every month. Happy 
am I in having such a loving fervent minister of 
Christ. — Pray present my best respects to Mrs. Buckley 
and Mrs. Ingram. 

May every spiritual blessing, with temporal ones as 
far as possible, be yours ! 

From your obliged friend, 

H, Venn. 



192 



ESSAY ON THE PROPHECY 



The two last letters allude to the publication of the Essay- 
on the Prophecy of Zacharias. Some of Mr. Venn's corre- 
spondents objected to certain passages in that work; which 
called forth the following letter, in vindication of them. The 
generality of Scripture commentators do not adopt the argu- 
ments for the Divinity of Our Lord, referred to in the latter 
part of the letter ; but I retain it, in order to shew that Mr. 
Venn had well considered the critical points involved in his 
publications, though they contain no display of learning or 
research. 



TO THE REV. J. STILLINGFLEET. 

MY DEAR friend, Yelling, Feb. 26, 1774. 

Mr. Thornton had told me that my dear and 

much-honoured friend, Miss , was offended at the 

passage, " If we cannot appeal unto God, that we watch 
and pray and keep His commandments, our hearts are 
false": — as if it savoured of a self-righteous spirit, 
and as if the expression " keep his commandments" 
implied a faultless conformity, instead of a cordial 
acceptance of them, value for them, and subjection to 
them. I have written to her, to point out that the 
Scripture, our unerring guide, speaks most decisively 
on the necessity of faith and obedience. The passages 
on the one hand, if not checked by the others, will be 
most certainly abused. In adjusting them both, and 
allowing them their proper force, consists that under- 
standing in the things of God which He hath promised 
to His people. It is grievous to see any one part of 
Holy Writ treated with aversion or slight. Is it not 
all equally precious ? Certainly, some would condemn 
the Holy Ghost for expressing Himself no better, if 



OF ZACHARIAS. 



193 



they did not know the words were His. What think 
you of these declarations : — " Then are ye my friends, 
when ye do whatsoever I command you/ 5 (Is not 
that as bad as keeping His commandments ?) " If ye 
keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; 
as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abode 
in His love"? What offence must be taken at St. 
Paul's expression, " Then shall every man have 
Kav^Yifia eis iavrbv jjlovov" — boasting in himself? 
Gal. vi. 4. Yet these Scriptures give no encourage- 
ment to self-righteousness. In short, it is not to be 
wondered at that we are accused of leaning, at least, 
to licentiousness, if we are not explicit, strong, and 
emphatical, in pressing, as much as others, the 
necessity of righteousness and true holiness. But I 
have always been too much on the side of free grace 
for many Arminians — too much on the side of experi- 
mental religion for many Calvinists. 

Now for the grand mistake, in which my beloved, 
open-hearted friend, to whom I am writing, joins quite 
against me. Observe : my Essay was not a place for 
me to advance all the evidence I have to prove that I 
am right in my interpretation of " / am He/ 3 I will 
now urge some more proofs. The Hebrew NIPT is 
always translated by the Septuagint, 'Eyai elfu. Why 
not, then, so in the New Testament ? In two places 
in the New Testament it will not bear any other sense 
than what I have given it : I mean, John viii. 58. and 
John xiii. 19. You cannot here translate 7Lya> el/xi, 
" It is I." And allowing it must be so rendered in 
some other places, still it suffices that wherever the 
Hebrew word, expressing the self-existent Deity, 
is used, 'Ey<y elfxi is the Greek rendering of it. And 
is not this a very noble decisive proof of the grand 
o 



194 



MR. ROBINSON OF LEICESTER. 



doctrine? Not that I would claim the merit of dis- 
covering it. It was urged by one of the first scholars 
of his age, and one of the best of men — Dr. Knight, 
Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, the only divine, in London, 
who rejoiced to see the Methodists, Mr. Whitfield and 
Wesley, come out. In his Sermons on the Trinity, 
enforced with much learning, this point is urged. 
From him I took the proof, although I have some- 
what altered my manner of urging it: and, being 
much struck and convinced by it myself, I produced 
it in the Essay. And I should be glad to hear what 
answer you will make to what I here send you. 

Robinson is leaving my neighbourhood, and going 
to Leicester. I lose much by his removal : much 
grace is upon him. The good Lord bless, preserve, 
and keep you ! Pray for me, who am, 

Yours sincerely, H. Venn. 



The settlement of Mr. Robinson at Leicester, alluded to 
in the close of the last letter, is several times mentioned 
about this period: and the following interesting reflection 
occurs, on the increase of zealous Ministers in the Church. 



Welcome, thrice welcome, the news of the 

Gospel thus spreading in large towns ! When I set 
out, twenty-four years ago, I knew but of Truro, and 
Bradford in Wiltshire. Oh ! may this be but the be- 
ginning ! How reviving to such as I am, now draw- 
ing nigh our departure, to behold our prayers in some 
degree answered by the labourers coming forth to 
the harvest ! — — 



CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGES. 



195 



TO WILLIAM WHITACRE, ESQ. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Dec. 20, 1773. 

I am much indebted to you for returning me my 
servant. He has been greatly improved at Longwood 
House. And now I am happy in having a good hope 
that all the servants in the family are children of God 
— happy in prayer ; assuredly concluding we are more 
than two or three who are gathered together in the 
name of Jesus ; and that we shall have whatsoever we 
ask, which will be for the glory of God and the good 
of our souls. I find it affecting to them, as well as 
to myself, to enlarge upon the mercies we have re- 
ceived — upon the great things done for us already, in 
raising our souls from the death of sin, and making 
us sometimes feel the pleasure of communion with our 
God ; and to recount our various wickednesses, com- 
paring them with his superabundant kindness, in our 
present spiritual enjoyments, and our future infinitely- 
glorious hopes : — and this I would press my very 
dear friend to do. We are too apt to dwell on the 
dark side, when once we are brought to the knowledge 
of ourselves — on our manifold corruptions, and the 
treachery of our hearts, the strength of our enemies, 
and the poverty of our best services, till we almost 
forget that we are the Lord's — His property by the 
gift of the Father, by His own purchase through the 
price of blood — His conquest, through the power of 
His arm — His New Creation, being born of God, 
through him — His espoused wife — the members of 
His body. O high quality and condition ! sufficient 
to inspire hope and assurance of victory — to fill us 
with admiration of his love to us, and love to all who 
stand in this relation to Him. May my dear friends 
o 2 



196 



PICTURE OF 



at Longwood House pray for the knowledge of these 
great things ! which are freely given them of God, I 
doubt not. 

I suppose, by the time you receive this, you will 
also receive my book. May the style, spirit, and 
matter of it be owned of God, to convince, undeceive, 
and bring into the way of life, some of my poor mis- 
taken and deluded fellow-sinners ! May the approach- 
ing festival be a feast to your soul, and the incarna- 
tion of God be your delight ! Love to all friends. 
From your much obliged friend and servant, 

H. Venn. 



As the last letter, will,, perhaps, excite the reader's interest 
in the state of Mr. Venn's family, regarded as a Christian 
household, I will here introduce, from a letter to Mrs. Rilandj. 
a pleasing sketch of the domestic arrangements and employ- 
ments at Yelling parsonage. 



— — You tell me you have no idea how we go on. 
Take the following sketch. I am up, one of the first 
in the house, soon after five o'clock ; and when prayer 
and reading the blessed Word is done, my daughters 
make their appearance ; and I teach them till Mrs. 
Venn comes 4own, at half-past eight. Then family- 
prayer begins \ which is often very sweet ; as my 
mother's maid, and my own servants, are all, I believe, 
born of God. The children begin to sing prettily; 
and our praises, I trust, are heard on high. — From 
breakfast, we are all employed, till we ride out, in 
fine weather, two hours for health ; and after dinner 
employed again. At six, I have always one hour for 



A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD. 



197 



solemn meditation and walking * in my house, till 
seven. We have then, sometimes, twenty^ sometimes 
more or less, of the people, to whom I expound the 
Word of the Blessed God : several appear much af- 
fected ; and sometimes Jesus stands in the midst, and 
saith, " Peace be unto you!" Our devotions end at 
eight : we sup, and go to rest at ten. On Sundays, I 
am still enabled to speak six hours, at three different 
times, to my own great surprise. O the goodness of 
God, in raising me up. 



The moral beauty and happiness of this domestic picture 
cannot but forcibly strike every serious mind. In the hope 
of deepening this impression, I insert two kindred passages 
from subsequent letters : the first exhibits the true light in 
which we should regard family connexions : the next will 
serve to shew us, that such a measure of the Divine blessing 
upon our households must be expected only in the vigilant 
and earnest use of the means which God has appointed for 
the communication of His Grace. 



We are all now again under one roof. Im- 
portant and awful connexion ! which I wish and pray 
may be more and more deeply imprinted in my mind. 
How contrary is it to our nature, to consider the near- 
est relations we have in this light ; and to say often, 
solemnly, my father or mother, husband or wife, 
children or servants, are the very persons, with whom, 

* It was Mr. Venn's habit to engage in devotional exercises of 
meditation and prayer during this hour, while walking alone, either 
in a large room of the house, or sometimes in the church. 



198 



PICTURE OF 



as I have the most to do, so shall I have the most to 
answer for ! They, even they, will be the witnesses, 
either to attest my life of faith, or to confront my false, 
though perhaps confident, pretensions to that precious 
grace. With what circumspection, with what tender- 
ness of love, with what zeal, should we do good, and 
edify and comfort one another, were we to think in 
this manner ! 

The promise you make me of a visit to my 

house, if you should be recovered, calls for my best 
thanks ; but I fear you give too much credit to Mr. 
and Mrs. Elton's representation of our way of life. 
Indeed, I do strive and labour to prevent our family 
worship degenerating into a form; which I greatly 
dread, and to which I am sadly prone, so that few can 
conceive how much pains and prayer it costs me, to 
avoid such an abuse of devotion. Yet you will be 
much disappointed, if you should come with any great 
expectations. I have heard from others of the way in 
which my Bristol friends speak of our house, and am 
ashamed : indeed, we are a company of poor, distem- 
pered, and denied creatures, under the healing hand 
of Jesus ! And should we have the honour of your 
company, I must immediately begin to pray, when the 
time draws near, that I may not be a prejudice and 
hindrance to your soul's prosperity, by my falling far 
beneath the practice I so constantly urge upon my 
flock. 



A striking anecdote may be here introduced, from " The 
History of Ruth Clark," to shew how fully Mr. Venn exem- 
plified the principles which his letters enforce. 



A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD. 



199 



" He watched over the morals of his servants, as 
well as of his children ; and felt the misconduct of a 
servant as a family misfortune, and a matter of general 
humiliation throughout the household. Hence, on 
one occasion, when he overheard a violent quarrel, in 
the kitchen, between Ruth and one of the other ser- 
vants, he was as much shocked and distressed as if 
some great loss had befallen him. After speaking to 
the servants, in the most serious manner, on their sin- 
ful conduct, he told them, that family-prayers, while 
such tempers were allowed, would be a mockery ; and 
that they must all humble themselves before God in 
private, before he could allow them to meet together 
for social worship. Accordingly, family-prayers were 
discontinued for a week ; during which time Mr. V/s 
deportment bespoke the deepest concern and humilia- 
tion ; and during two days of that week, he remained 
in his study alone, engaged in fasting and prayer. 
We may easily conceive how deep and solemn an im- 
pression must have been made on the minds of all. 
It was Mr. V/s constant aim to keep up in his own 
mind, and in the minds of all connected with him, a 
strong sense of the evil of sin, and the high necessity 
there is for every one who nameth the name of Christ 
to depart from iniquity." — History of Ruth Clark. 



The next letter commences a correspondence with his 
nephew, the late Edward Venn, esq., of Camberwell, (son of 
Dr. Venn of Ipswich,) who was at this time just entering 
into business in London. 



200 



THE CARE OF THE SOUL, 



TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 
MY DEAR NEPHEW, Yelling, March 8, 1774. 

Could you be spared, we should be very glad to 
see you. I wish you all blessings in one, when I 
wish you the knowledge and love of Christ J esus the 
Lord. May He guide and counsel you! He can 
make you (and He alone) possess true peace and in- 
tegrity of mind, in the midst of selfishness, fraud, and 
the tumult of business. It is too generally thought 
that business is an excuse for neglecting the salvation 
of the soul : but this excuse is pointed out very fully, 
and very severely condemned, by our Saviour, when 
He says, John vi. 27: "Labour not for the meat 
which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth 
unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give 
unto you ; for Him hath God the Father sealed," or 
anointed, to this office. — My dear nephew will easily 
conceive that this strong and absolute injunction, to 
prefer eternal good to temporary prosperity and 
opulence, is a most gracious one ; for it does not pro- 
hibit a proper degree of application, but only an im- 
moderate and infidel pursuit of the things of time. 
It is only an affecting call, not to neglect the provi- 
sion for endless years. Who, upon 'Change, would 
not be laughed to scorn as a fool, if he should risk 
his all to be rich for a year, and command the people 
under him, but, at the end of that term, was sure to 
be a beggar ever after ? Now, our good and merci- 
ful God, regarding and consulting the whole of our 
welfare through every part of our existence, only 
advises and commands us not to sacrifice eternal 
honours and felicity for the transient gain of a very 
few years; promising and assuring us, that so far 



THE CHRISTIAN RACE. 



201 



from losing, by this wise choice, any thing really pro- 
fitable for us here, we shall be the better enabled to 
succeed, and have the good of this world, as well as 
of that which is to come. The good esteem and 
affection I have for you prompts me, without design, 
to send you these thoughts. Mrs. Venn joins with 
me in wishing you every blessing ; and your two 
unseen cousins desire to be remembered to you, and 
to all the family. 

From your affectionate uncle, 

H. Venn. 

TO HIS SISTER-IN-LAW, MRS. BISHOP. 
DEAR SISTER, Yelling, Sept. 1, 1774. 

Your change to your present situation appears 
much more likely to suit and please you ; and as you 
are easily contented, we hope you will find an agree- 
able settlement where you are, till God is pleased to 
point out some other. I have found often much com- 
fort and rest to my soul in that Scripture, " Run witk 
patience the race that is set before us. 33 When men 
run for the prize, all the ground is measured out for 
them, which they are to go over. Thus it is with 
Christians; — the Lord's people, from the womb to 
the grave, have all their several places, for their 
childhood, their youth, their riper years, to the hour 
of their death, as well as the cause and manner of it, 
appointed, in infinite wisdom and in everlasting love 
to their souls. And there is a set time, how long their 
friends shall remain with them ; what they shall do 
in their favour; also, what crosses and disappoint- 
ments and ill usage they shall meet with, and from 
what quarter it all shall come. This race, set thus, 
we are to run with patience ; not fretting or murmur- 



202 



THE CHRISTIAN RACE. 



ing; not desponding or doubting the goodness and 
love of the Great Ordainer of all our lot ; not even 
presuming to wish there was any alteration in our 
circumstances, unless God is pleased to bring it to 
pass. It is a great part of the spiritual worship due 
to Him, and by which we honour Him, thus to com- 
mit without carefulness all our affairs into His hands : 
and when we do so, He has promised His peace shall 
rule in our hearts. May my dear sister find and feel 
this, from day to day ! and if you do not, lament and 
bewail, or pray that you may lament and bewail, the 
corruption of your heart. 

Blessed be God ! retirement and perfect solitude, 
whilst Mrs. Venn is spared and health given, we enjoy 
even more than much company. It will give you 

pleasure to hear that has returned to all his old 

affection for me and my family. And thus, one of 
the best of God's children, after a most unreasonable 
and unjustifiable resentment of my conduct for three 
whole years, is delivered from his offence against God 
and charity. Oh, what are even the best, in the time 
of trial, unless God uphold! I have lived to see 
abundant cause for that absolute renunciation of de- 
pendence upon the love even of those who are dear to 
God as well as others. " Put not your trust in princes, 
nor in any child of man." 

I hear there are no hopes of ■ J s recovery, 

though he may linger long as he is. Oh, that sick- 
ness, and a gradual visible approach to eternity, may 
be made a blessing to his soul ! 

I hope you constantly spend an hour every morn- 
ing in reading the Word of God, with prayer ; and do 
not trust to Henry's Commentary too much : look up 
to God for the meaning, and only in some difficulties 



ON MR. RILAND'S REMOVAL TO A NEW ABODE. 203 

to the comment. Whilst you continue as you are, it 
is one very great privilege of your situation to have 
much time to read the word, and pray. I account it 
so here : and had rather have hours to pray, than, 
without them, be with the brightest examples of every 
grace. 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, Nov. 29, 1774. 
When I took so large a sheet of paper to write 
upon, I intended one side of it for my dear friend. 
But, as I have filled that to your husband, I must fill 
this to yourself. I have sympathized with you in 
your illness ; and felt for the cause of it — your fatigue. 
Are the tradesmen in your town to be waited on ? 
Could they not send their goods to be seen ; or take 
orders with sufficient exactness ? But this illness was 
a merciful call to retirement and recollection, after the 
hurry of your removal, and entrance upon your new 
situation*. You are already fixed in another habita- 
tion. May the eyes of the Lord be over it, by night 
and by day ! May His presence be sensible to every 
heart which dwells in it; and much communion be 
enjoyed with Him, in secret prayer, reading, and me- 
ditating upon His word ! Under your favoured roof, 
may the Lord hearken and hear the conversation of 
the parlour and the kitchen, and write a book of re- 
membrance concerning it ! May all who live in it, 
live as strangers and pilgrims ! and all who die in it, 
die to the Lord ! I now regard you as favoured in a 
most distinguished manner — happy in your conjugal 

* Mr. Riland had removed to Birmingham, 



204 DAILY EMPLOYMENTS AT YELLING. 

relation above most — happy in your children, and in 
the excellent talent Mr. Riland possesses to bring them 
up in obedience and reverence for their parents — 
happy in the prospect of a glorious Church, about to 
be called out of their natural state of ignorance and 
delusion (cruel delusion, tending to death !) — happy 
in several excellent and cordial friends, with whom 
you will soon be cemented in bonds of everlasting 
love — happy in looking, through all these inferior en- 
joyments, to the infinitely nobler object of your supreme 
affection, who gave you His faithful elect minister for 
your husband ; gave you your children ; and gave 
you that manifestation of His glory, which you know 
how to prize ; — and, when all temporal connexions 
cease, that glory shall be your everlasting felicity. 
You need not be told — you can well conceive — how 
sincerely I rejoice in all my dear friend's prosperity 
and prospects, both for time and eternity ; confidently 
hoping that the period is arriving, when I shall see 
the vast accumulated felicity which is prepared and 
secured for her, and all my friends, before the Throne 
of God. 

I have now been here three years and three months. 
Take notice! — never absent but eleven, out of one 
hundred and seventy, Sundays; and sometimes not 
one single night in a month ! Is not this residence ? 
— and never more pleased, than when no visiter came 
near us ; though no one delights more in the company 
of his friends, and the friends of Jesus. But I find 
unspeakable joy in the Word of Grace — at the Throne 
of Grace — in meditation and contemplation — in re- 
calling past marvellous mercies and distinguishing 
grace — in looking forward to the final scenes of man's 
eventful history, and my own pilgrimage ; whilst the 



HOTHAM RECTORY, 



205 



business I have with my family, and my sermons — 
meeting with a few poor cottagers every evening, who 
are, I trust, members of Christ — make each passing 
day glide on apace ; and weeks and months and years 
bring with them abounding evidence of God's faith- 
fulness, and overflowing goodness and everlasting 
love to the vilest of the vile — as I sometimes do 
indeed appear to myself. Oh, that I did always ! 

My children desire their love ; and would exult 
in joy to see you both, and your dear children. 
When you can, without fatigue, I shall be very glad 
to receive, from your own hand, assurance of your 
perfect recovery : and remember, you are already 
near four months in debt to me. 

The Lord evermore love and bless you ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan. 20, 1775. 

Have you not received the long letter I sent to you, 
near three months since ? or have you been ill, and 
so disabled from writing ? or so busy, as to have no 
time? Many have been my thoughts and conjectures 
about this long silence of yours. Many my fears, 
lest you have relapsed into your old disorder. If you 
are well, let me have, immediately, the joy of know- 
ing you are so. And remember, I expect to hear all 
particulars, how you go on in your new habitation ; 
which I am very sure is richer than the palace of the 
greatest monarch ; and grander, by the residence of 
Jehovah, your God, amongst you. Could we move 
with the agility we shall one day do, how many visits 



206 



MR. DAW. MR. SHIRLEY. 



should we both pay to the Rector and Rectoress of 
Hotham, to be eye-witnesses of the fervent devotion 
paid by their family to the adorable Redeemer — to 
behold their affection for their fellow-creatures and 
fellow-sinners, whose welfare, present and eternal, they 
are sent to promote — to hear pleasing accounts of 
conquered sinners, increase of knowledge and grace 
around you, prejudice against your doctrine and 
Master's glorious Truth subsiding — and each of you, 
in your station, filling up your time with good works. 
Such is the life, through the distinguishing grace of 
God, of His family here on earth, in different degrees 
of usefulness. 

Since I last wrote to you, I have nothing but mer- 
cies to tell of — my health better — my people so many 
every evening, that the kitchen will but just contain 
them — several new ones awakened — Mrs. Venn better. 
Mr. Daw, who has been six weeks with us, a physi- 
cian to the bodies of the poor, and glad to feed the 
hungry and clothe the naked, and supply many who 
otherwise must pine in want, has left us, two days since. 
I mourn his absence. He has been an example to us 
all. I have had also the pleasure of a visit from Mr. 
Shirley and his dear wife. He calls himself my son, 
but quite shames his father. The last is first, by many 
degrees. 

Pray, can you tell me any thing of my beloved 
friend, Mr. Adam ? Is he still in his tottering taber- 
nacle? I hope he will be able to visit you. His 
heart will be rejoiced to see one of the young wit- 
nesses sent forth, to bear testimony to that grace he 
has found to be his salvation. 

Mrs. Venn joins with me in every kind wish to 
Mrs. Stillingfleet. May you inherit all the blessings 



VISIT TO OXFORD. MR. STEVENSON. 207 



of the New Testament, here and for ever ! I sent a 
letter to my son, in the holidays, desiring him to let me 
know what was really his choice ; and reminding him 
of the importance of the work of the ministry. He 
has answered my letter ; and assures me, he had ra- 
ther be a minister of Christ than a prince. He speaks 
well ! 

Pray, O pray for him sometimes, as well as his 
father — that his eye may be single, and his conscience 
thoroughly awakened, and then purged by the blood 
of sprinkling ! 

Adieu, my beloved friend! 

H. Venn. 



In the month of February this year, Mr. Venn was called 
from home, to attend the funeral of Mrs. Ascough, Mrs. 
Venn's mother, who was buried at Highworth, Wiltshire. 
I select from letters written at the time, the following notices 
of a visit to Oxford, and of several friends whom he met with 
during his journey. 



On Tuesday we reached Oxford : where Mr. 

Stevenson, a Yorkshire gentleman, and an honour to 
your county, came to us : he is full of good sense, 
faith, zeal, and love. We breakfasted with him and 
five other young students, all sensible, humble, and 
zealous, desiring only to be preachers of Christ. There 
were, they told me, as many more, in the University, 
like-minded with themselves. It was a most pleasing 
sight, to behold them listening to every word I uttered, 
in exhorting and animating them to be bold, and 
faithful to our Saviour ! We concluded with prayer. 



208 



MR. PENTYCROSS. — MR. DE COETLOGON. 



On Sunday, I preached at High worth, to a 

large congregation. My text was 1 Sam. ii. 25 — 

a favourite subject with me. 

1 staid a day and a half at Wallingford, with 

Mr. Pentycross. He is in a most useful sphere in- 
deed, and has much favour with the people. I preached 
for him on Ash-Wednesday. A most attentive con- 
gregation were present, to hear; and, though I preached 
an hour and a half, not one seemed tired. 

In London, where I was obliged to remain a 

whole month, I was happy in hearing Mr. De Coet- 
logon. His discourses are all I could wish to hear — 
judicious, doctrinal in a proper degree, very experi- 
mental, and faithfully applied. In the midst of caresses 
and admiration, more than any preacher fixed at the 
Lock ever met with, may he be kept vigilant and 
humble ! I was with him several times. His health 
is very weak ; and by being often dangerously ill, he 
feels more deeply the emptiness of present things. 

Notwithstanding the kindness of many friends, 

we were heartily tired of the great city, before we left 
it ; and returned to our sweet retirement with a higher 
relish. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling^ June 4, 1775. 

I cannot help writing to you now, when I have 
received from your beloved .husband so pleasing an 
account of the success of his labours, and the good 
disposition of the people to keep him an assistant. I 
know not any one to recommend ; for curates are 
like wives — a great comfort, or a great cross. And 



DEATH OF LADY G. HOTHAM. 



209 



though I did venture to recommend him one of the 
latter, and succeeded marvellously, I must not expect 
to find a curate as able to please and fulfil the duties 
of his place as a Priscilla. When I received Mr. 
Riland's letter, I was doubly happy in this reflection, 
that we were both greatly encouraged and favoured 
at the same time. In my small sphere, there never 
was so good a prospect as at present. 

I have lately had three delightful cordials, in the 
death-bed testimony of Lady Gertrude Hotham, of 
Mrs. Nicholson, and Sarah Reeves. The first, my old 
friend, was burnt, from her clothes taking fire ; and 
after lying fifteen days upon her bed, without sleep 
and without food, she departed. The whole time, she 
was cheerful — said she wanted nothing — that she was 
near her journey's end — a long one — and she knew 
she was going to enter into a blessed eternity. " For 
this my happiness," said she, to all around her, " bless 
the Lord Jesus Christ!" Mrs. Carteret and Mrs. 
Cavendish attended her ; and from them I had this 
account. Thus, whilst her infidel brother, Lord Ches- 
terfield, says he was forced to read till his eyes were 
almost blind, lest he should hang himself, his chris- 
tian sister can rejoice on a bed of languishing, and 
edify all about her. 

Mrs. Nicholson was the wife of the assistant I had 
for the first year I was at Yelling ; and as soon as she 
heard, she obeyed. She became a most earnest, though 
a trembling, seeker of her Lord ; and last Thursday 
I preached her funeral sermon. She left a husband 
and four young children ; and her last words were 
sweet indeed : " Trust, oh, trust," said she, " in Jesus, 
all of you ! for He has proved faithful to all His 
promises, and fulfilled all my desires." 

p 



210 



ON THE KNOWLEDGE 



Sarah Reeves was a farmer's wife at Godmanches- 
ter. Her youngest son came to Yelling- church, the 
first of the family, out of curiosity. After him, the 
eldest sister ; then the second ; then the youngest ; 
then the father and mother ; and, last of all, the eldest 
son, a farmer. She died of a pleurisy ; and, during 
the whole time, was a pattern of peace and patience, 
and for a sign and wonder in her village. Thus is 
the Lord testifying His grace. 

In October, I fully purpose to see you and yours. 
I believe I shall come alone, and, for the first time, 
leave Mrs. Venn. My love to your children and their 
father. Adieu, my dear friend ! 

From yours, &c. 

H. Venn, 



The following extract furnishes a very instructive supple- 
ment to the subject of the last letter. 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 

Yelling, Aug. 30, 1775. 

You had not before mentioned the death of 

the dear female disciple of Christ. We should all, I 
think, do well to keep an account of those who thus 
evidently die comforted and triumphant. You observe, 
' a close walk with God is the best preparation for it. J 
I believe the same ; and that the kjwwledge of our 
acceptance with God is to be constantly urged as one 
of the greatest motives to lead a strict life, and to 
abstain from all appearance of evil ; seeing the Holy 
Ghost, whose testimony alone can satisfy the con- 



OF OUR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD. 



211 



science, will never dwell with the slothful or luke- 
warm ; much less with presumptuous offenders. Scrip- 
turally to state, and firmly to maintain by sound 
arguments, the knowledge of Salvation, is, I believe, 
a most useful way of preaching : guarding against 
the hypocrites, who will sometimes speak great swell- 
ing words about this matter, though themselves the 
servants of corruption, and conscious of the lie they 
tell in speaking of their joy in the Lord. I judge, one 
great reason of the worldliness prevailing amongst 
the orthodox Dissenters, is, their teachers not pressing 
this point ; and, amidst very much error, one great 
cause of Mr. Wesley's success, some years ago, was 
his urging Christians not to rest without joy in God 
from receiving the atonement. Indeed, he erred in 
making this knowledge to be justifying faith itself, 
instead of the fruit thereof ; and also as to the mode 
in which the knowledge is acquired : — yet, better even 
so, than that uncertainty which leaves believers and 
infidels on nearly the same footing respecting any an- 
ticipation of glory ready to be revealed, and which 
holds forth no high peculiar blessedness to excite men 
to give all diligence to make their calling and elec- 
tion sure. 



Many of Mr. Venn's letters, written about this time, 
allude to the prospect of his son's leaving school, to reside at 
Yelling, and pursue his studies under his father's care, pre- 
viously to his going to College. The following extract, as 
well as the subsequent letters, illustrate his earnest and pious 
solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his son, 



212 



his son's progress in learning. 



Yelling, Sept. 30, 1775. 
At Christmas, my son comes home ; and I shall 
have great need, more than common, of your prayers, 
that whilst he lives with me, he may see nothing that 
will hurt his precious soul, and take off the force of 
those instructions I shall be daily giving him — - 
nothing but what will win his affection, even without 
the word, to Christ ; and make him feel that the know- 
ledge of Him is the way of peace and joy. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, Feb. 7, 1776. 

Your Lilliputian epistle, my dear friend, was in 
great danger of being swallowed up in some letter 
of due size, and never coming to my hands, where it 
was so welcome ; though one part of it, which men- 
tions your poor state of health, alarms me, and makes 
me entreat Mr. Riland to write me word, instantly, 
how you do. No other matter, than that you are re- 
covered of your complaint, will make the letter an 
acceptable messenger to our family. 

You very justly suppose that, after receiving the 
good account of your safe confinement, I should have 
written sooner, unless I had been much engaged. I 
most certainly ought, and did propose it ; but I have 
had my hands exceedingly full. My son has been my 
pupil since the 16th of December ; and my heart 
perhaps too much intent on his qualifying himself 
with all learning for the ministry, makes me spend 
much time with him ; for I know that a good under- 
standings well improved by acquaintance with the 
best authors, adds great weight and authority to the 



A PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 213 

teacher \ and, as Mr, Berridge (an excellent scholar 
himself) says, " Learning is a good stone to throw at 
a dog, to stop his barking/' 

At present, my son is every thing I could wish — 
a sweet temper indeed, and very serious, joining with 
devotion in our meetings in the evening, and intent 
to please me by studying closely. This, with my two 
other pupils the girls, and my own reading the blessed 
Book, fills my time after I have studied for the pul- 
pit : — this makes me grudge the loss of a day. Ano- 
ther reason of my delay was, a fall I had from my 
horse, on the 27th of January, that most bitter, freez- 
ing, snowy day. I was returning home, from a visit 
of charity to an afflicted Child of God, when, in the 
open field, about a mile from home, my mare lost her 
feet, in a place she could not see, fell upon her head, 
and threw me violently before her upon the hard ground, 
and then ran home. Had a limb been broken, I 
must have been frozen to death, before it was known 
I had been thrown : or had it continued to snow, as 
it did ten minutes before I fell, and soon after I got 
home, I should have struggled in vain against my 
enemy ; for that very day several were frozen to death. 
But in mercy to my family, I was preserved marvel- 
lously — bruised indeed much on one shoulder, but 
now able to minister to the people. May the life, 
thus in tender mercy to my family prolonged, be more 
earnestly devoted to His service ! 

I do fully purpose to be with you, to preach your 
charity sermons, in May. I shall certainly have much 
pleasure in seeing my dear friend, her husband, child- 
ren, and the Church of God, in Birmingham — much 
pleasure in meeting once more those with whom, I 
trust, I shall spend an eternity in Heaven — and even 



214 MEETINGS AMONG CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. 

there remember how by the way we talked of the 
power and glory and love of our Saviour, and His 
wonderful dealings with our souls. 

Mrs. Venn and my children join in most cordial 
wishes. I believe there is not that sight or entertain- 
ment on earth which would give my children, self, 
and servants, so much joy as to see you here, and Mr. 
Riland. You scarcely think how often we talk of 
you both ; and how the children's eyes sparkle, and 
always remember some instance of your care and 
tenderness, when they were desolate, and their dear 
mamma received up into glory. May the Lord J esus 
Christ reveal Himself more and more to your soul, 
and make you a preacher in the parlour to the female 
circle ! for I am sure, if you will speak, you can, 
most evangelically. 

Adieu ! From your affectionate, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Aug. 12, 1776. 

When your letter was brought to me this evening 
in the parlour, I said to Mrs. Venn and the company, 
" How much I am ashamed, and almost even afraid, to 
open this letter! I have been inexcusably negligent 
for many months, and deserve not to be considered as 
a correspondent ; and my affectionate friend has still 
passed over my fault, and favours me with another 
epistle. I will immediately ask his pardon; fill a 
whole sheet of paper ; and, if there were any credit 
to be given to resolutions, I would resolve never to 
offend again." 

I will tell you, as you are pleased to interest your- 



VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM. 



215 



self in my matters, how it has fared with me and mine, 
since you last heard from me. In December, my son 
came home. I had the great pleasure to find he had 
applied himself closely to his studies at school : and 
still more, that here he was disposed to do the same. 
But, as I could not teach him to write good Latin, 
and I feared he might be most defective therein, I ac- 
cepted dear Mr. Robinson's proposal ; and he is now 
at Leicester with him, for two months, in order, I 
trust, to receive a blessing from that lively, zealous, 
prudent, and able young minister, as well as to be 
perfected in the Latin tongue. I have no fear of my 
son's abilities ; they are excellent : and I hope he is 
indeed drawn by grace to desire the ministry. No- 
thing can be better behaviour than his here. I pray 
for him day and night ; desiring only one thing, that 
he may be made an able minister of the New Testa- 
ment. 

Last May, I accepted an invitation from dear Mr. 
Riland, and went alone to Birmingham. I never left 
Mrs. Venn before, for so long as three days ; and de- 
signed only to stay there five nights : but my horse 
having met with an unfortunate accident, I was de- 
tained there during two Sundays. Great was my 
pleasure to see Mr. Riland evidently filled with care 
and concern for the success of his ministry. I preached 
five times to his people. — What a blessed sphere of 
usefulness ! 

There I met with a young gentleman from your 
neighbourhood, who delights to hear you. He gave 
me a charming account of your success ; and told me 
your church would not contain the numbers who 
crowded to hear the Gospel from you. 

Mrs. Venn desires her most affectionate respects, 



216 REMEMBRANCE OF FRIENDS IN PRAYER. 

with myself and daughters, to you and your dear wife. 
We remember with regret that we had not her com- 
pany ; and hope, whenever you are called into this 
part of the world, you will come and stay with us. 
None will rejoice more in the visit. 

I still go on here in my poor way. A few more 
are added, it appears, to the Church ; and several of 
the older disciples seem to prosper. But I have long 
since found, that if I turn my eyes from Jesus, and 
expect my comfort from any thing but from Himself, I 
must be disappointed. Pray for me, that with a single 
eye I may labour without ceasing, as far as my strength 
will go, with all long-suffering and doctrine, till I go 
hence. This I beg for you, by name ; and every Sa- 
turday, between six and seven in the evening, I have 
a pleasing remembrance of you and your flock, hoping 
I am also remembered by you. I have been nowhere, 
but to Birmingham — not even to London — this twelve- 
month. Were I able to bear the expense, I should 
with exceeding joy come into Yorkshire, and meet 
once more, before my departure, many souls so dear 
to me : but we must regard our circumstances, and 
deny ourselves, when it would be greatly imprudent 
to gratify our inclinations : yet it does grieve me, 
when some of my Yorkshire friends are apt to say, 
that I might, but will not, visit them. 

Mr. Berridge is in London : he laboured for three 
months above his strength : he had the largest con- 
gregations that were ever known, for a constancy ; and 
greatly was his word owned of the Lord. He is as 
affectionate as a father to my son, and gives him many 
valuable books. He is often telling me that he is sick 
of all he does, and loathes himself for the inexpressible 
corruption he feels within : yet is his life a pattern to 



NATURE OF TRUE RELIGION. 



217 



us all, and an incitement to love and serve the Lord 
with all our strength. Thus does my affectionate 
brother resemble that burning and shining light, who 
cried out, " I have need to be baptized of Thee V 3 
Thus I find it with him. Twenty-five years ago, I 
was certain I should be able to reconcile the Word of 
God in all its parts, and be able to pray without dis- 
traction. Now, I wait for the light of Eternity, and 
the perfection of holiness, in order that I may know 
any thing as I ought to know. 

True holiness is quite of another character than we, 
for a long time, in any degree conceive. It is not 
serving God without defect, but with deep self-abase- 
ment — with astonishment at His infinite condescension 
and love manifested to sinners — to ungodly enemies, 
and men who, in their very best estate on earth, are 
exceedingly vile. It is pleasing to consider how we 
are all led into this point, however we may differ in 
others : and were it not for the demon of controversy, 
and a hurry of employment, which leaves no time for 
self-knowledge or devout meditation on the Oracles of 
God, I am persuaded we should every one be so 
grounded in this matter, that by-standers would no 
longer reproach us for our divisions. 

Adieu, my dear friend ! Forgive my faults ; pity, 
and pray for me ! 

Yours ever, in the best bonds, 

H. Venn. 



The next correspondent was a relative of Mr. Venn — the 
late John Brasier, Esq., of Camberwell, near London ; who 
had shortly before this time returned from India, and was on 
the point of marriage. 



218 



THE CHURCH BETROTHED TO CHRIST. 



TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ. 

MY dear COUSIN, Yelling, Dec. 2, 1776, 

We begin to reckon the days till we shall receive 
the pleasure of your visit, with your new and nearest 
relative. What a place for a new-married couple to 
come to spend their Christmas in ! — silence and soli- 
tude — winter cold, and miry roads. Yet here I find 
more of that precious treasure for which martyrs bled, 
than ever I did in my life. Christ is company in soli- 
tude, and joy all the year round. As His beloved 
name is the cement and the foundation of your con- 
nexion, you will be prepared to participate in those 
enjoyments the world knoweth not of — the view of 
that Incarnate God, who wedded to him His Church, 
not seeing in it an excellent spirit and a lovely temper, 
a fitness for the conjugal relation, a heavenly aim and 
purpose of life ; — no ; when we were more loathsome 
than the beggar on the dunghill, and of so degenerate 
a spirit as to embrace our shame, and glory in our 
infamy — then was the time of love — then our Re- 
deemer said, " I have betrothed thee to myself in 
righteousness, and in judgment, and in faithfulness ; I 
have betrothed thee to myself for ever." Then He 
determined to take away the filthy garments of our 
own righteousness, and clothe us with the robe of 
salvation — to put beauty and comeliness upon our 
deformed spirits, and give us the same judgment and 
mind as He has himself ; then He determined to make 
us meet — by changing us from one degree of holiness 
to another — to make us ready for the marriage-supper 
above, and that we should exult at the midnight-cry, 
with the wise virgins : " Behold, the Bridegroom 
cometh ! Go ye out to meet him ! " 



MR. BRASIER. 



219 



If the day of your nuptials is not past, nor the com- 
pany invited, I should think you would do well to 
have none, or as few for your company as may be. 
It is of admirable use to be much in prayer on that 
day, that your union may bear a resemblance to that 
of Christ and His Church. I wish — I pray — I assure 
myself, it will. 

Pray present my Christian love to Miss S. or Mrs. B, 
Love to Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, and all friends, 
From your affectionate cousin, 

H. Venn, 



( 220 ) 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



SECTION III. 

letters written to his children, and to different 
friends, from the year 1777, to the time of his 
son's ordination, 1782. 



The introduction of letters from Mr. Venn to his children 
will form a new era in the Correspondence. A son and three 
daughters had now arrived at that critical period of life, in 
which the character receives its most important touches. 
The piety and tenderness which these parental letters breathe 
will give a charm to the wise counsels they convey. 

The letters to his son, especially, will be highly valued by 
those who know the peculiar dangers which beset the entrance 
into life of a young man of religious education. To these 
letters, also, an additional interest will be attached ; whilst 
they are regarded as the instructions of a zealous minister of 
Christ, in training up a son for the service which has long 
been his own delight and glory ; and whilst it is borne in 
mind, that these instructions were not given in vain, but that 
the son lived to exemplify the sacred character which the 
letters themselves so vividly portray. 



TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Bath, June 18, 1777. 
Your letter, my dear son, was very acceptable, on 
several accounts : it assured us of your safe journey, 



JOURNEY TO BATH. SALISBURY. 221 

and contains several Christian reflections. Let our 
correspondence increase. 

Through the Divine mercy, we had a safe j ourney 
to Mr. Maxfield's. At Salisbury, your mamma and 
sister were delighted with the solemn temple. A 
very noble fabric it is ; and was long accounted, by 
the votaries of superstition, in a peculiar manner the 
residence of the Deity. We know, blessed be His 
name ! that we are His temple ; for He dwelleth and 
walketh in us. On our journey, we stopped to see 

Mr. 's seat. One hundred thousand pounds have 

been expended in laying out the grounds around it ! 
Here is every thing to gratify the eye ; and your 
mamma and sister were extremely pleased, and par- 
ticularly with the paintings in the house. Yet the 
possessor of this fine place is frequently so miserable, 
his friends fear he will sink into a settled melancholy. 
Oh, that he knew the Prince of Peace ! 

After seeing the rich man^s possessions, I had great 
satisfaction in paying a visit to a poor man, aged 
ninety-six, and his wife eighty-six : the husband 
blind, yet of strong understanding. I preached to 
him the Poor Man of Nazareth; and he cried out, 
" Oh, Sir : I would crawl on all-fours to hear such 
talk ! But we be all left in the dark : our minister 
never comes anigh us ! " — Who can tell but the word 
spoken may be as a nail fastened in a sure place I 
May you and I ever watch for opportunities of doing 
good, and receiving good ! 

We came to Bath on Tuesday last, that your mamma 
might drink the waters. May it please God to bless 
them to her ! They seem, at present, to do her good. 
My prayer, before we set out, and every day, is, that 
we may receive good to our souls; and already I 



222 CAPTAIN SCOTT. MR. FLETCHER. 

have received an answer. In these parts, I see great 
monuments of the rich and tender love of our ever- 
blessed Saviour. Captain Scott and his Lady, who 
set out in the way to glory long, long after me, how 
they have got beyond me ! He said to me the other 
day, " It was worth while for us to come to Bristol, 
if it had been only to suffer as we have done under 
the kind hand of our Lord : for now we can tell of 
His faithfulness and consolations, which we related 
before upon hearsay." — His beloved wife was two 
months at the point of death ; and he has been cut 
for a cancer, the disease which killed his father. 
Dear Mr. Fletcher, who is sinking under a painful 
disease, accosted me thus : — " I love his rod ! How 
gentle are the stripes I feel ! how heavy those I de- 
serve ! 33 A third witness, a lady, who by excruciating 
pain has lost one eye, yet still continues in her afflic- 
tion, told me, that she found, at the foot of the cross, 
patience and victory over all; though she suffered 
more than she was able to express. — Everlasting praise 
be given unto the Lord of all lords for such invalua- 
ble supports ! Here is the faith and patience of the 
saints ! here the power of Christ ! 

What an office are you training for, my dear son ! 
— to publish that Saviour, whose love can thus make 
bitter sweet, and give songs to our poor afflicted 
fellow-creatures in the dark night of severest sufferings. 
Oh ! for His love, let rocks and hills 

Their lasting silence break, 
And all harmonious human tongues 

The Saviour's praises speak ! 
To him, daily, and every hour of the day, almost, I 
commend you ; begging of Him to direct you in all 
your studies, and enable you diligently to employ 



mr. Fletcher's eminent holiness. 223 

your precious time in acquiring knowledge, for no 
other purpose than to lay it all at the foot of His cross, 
whom even angels adore, casting their crowns before 
Him ! and, without self-seeking or self-complacency., 
be, after the example of His eminent servants, the 
servant of all — rich in Christ, but less than nothing 
in your own eyes. 

Your dear mamma and sister join with me in love 
to you. — Excellent is your purpose, to rise early, and 
study hard. I pray God give you resolution and 
perseverance ! 

The Lord Jesus be with your spirit, and give you 
wisdom and understanding ; the praise of which shall 
endure for ever ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn, 



The following additional particulars respecting Mr. Fletcher 
occur in a letter to Mr. Stillingfleet 



— I was for six weeks in the house with the extra- 
ordinary and very excellent Mr. Fletcher.* Oh, that 
I might be like him ! I do assure you, that I strictly 
observed him for six weeks, and never heard him 
speak any thing, but what was becoming a pastor of 
Christ's Church ; — not a single unbecoming word of 
himself or of his antagonists, or of his friends. All 
his conversation tended to excite to greater love and 
thankfulness for the benefits of Redemption; whilst 
his whole deportment breathed humility and love. 



* At the house of James Ireland, Esq., Brislington, near Bristol 



224 



son's entrance at college. 



We had many conversations. I told him, most freely, 
that I was shocked at many things in his " Checks"; 
and pointed them out to him. We widely differ about 
the efficacy of Christ's death, the nature of Justifica- 
tion, and the Perfection of the Saints ; but I believe 
we could live years together, as we did, in great love. 
He heard me twice ; and I was chaplain both morn- 
ing and evening in the family, as his lungs would not 
suffer him to speak long or loud. He desired his love, 
by me, to all his Calvinistic brethren ; and begged 
their pardon for the asperity with which he had written. 
I am persuaded, as I told him, that if he were to live 
with some of those whom he has been taught to con- 
ceive of as Antinomians, and hear them preach, he 
would be much more reconciled to them. 



In the October of this year, 1777, Mr. John Venn was en- 
tered as a student at Sidney College, Cambridge, under the 
tuition of Mr. John Hey, a tutor of eminent talents and re- 
putation, and a distinguished Norrisian Professor of Divinity. 



TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, Oct. 30, 1777. 
I have now to congratulate my dear son, in his new 
room, and entrance on his college studies ; — a most 
important period in your life — a seed-time, from which, 
duly improved, yourself, and many immortal souls, for 
whom Christ died, will receive everlasting advantage. 
Now is a price put into your hands — an admirable 
opportunity of improving your mental faculties — of 
acquiring a fund of human learning, which will be of 



ADVICE TO HIS SON AT COLLEGE. 



225 



great use to you as long as you live — of habituating 
yourself to study and meditation, and much retire- 
ment, the fit preparation for the high and spiritual 
office for which you are designed. 

You have heard so many lessons from me (and, I 
thank my gracious God ! not without effect), that I can 
only repeat in writing what you have received viva 
voce. But, as to write to you on these important sub- 
jects is a pleasure to me, I shall remind you of a few 
particulars, which we have often talked of already ; 
beginning with what relates to your body, and con- 
cluding with some advice respecting your eternal 
interests. 

Exert, as you did at Leicester, resolution ; and rise 
early : so you will have opportunity to perform much 
every day, and with ease give to your studies and 
your devotions a just proportion of your time. Be 
ashamed of giving place to sloth and love of sleep. 
Soon victory will declare for you ; and in doing well, 
you will reap more present pleasure than self-indul- 
gence can give. Be attentive to your health. 

Continue, as you have done for nearly these two 
years, to read the Book of Books : but read it always 
with prayer : and, before you open it, recollect what 
excellent things are said in its praise — what good has 
been received from it by millions now in glory. Beg 
it may work upon your mind, and be written in your 
heart. Shun, as poison, all disputes and controversies. 
Infinite hurt has been done by them ; and very little 
good to any one. 

I am very glad that you, with the three friends you 
mention, intend to meet on Sundays — I suppose, by 
turns, at each other's room. But I would not have 
you increase your number, on several accounts. Your 
Q 



226 ADVICE TO HIS SON AT COLLEGE, 

knowledge of each other, and confidence of friendship, 
will enable you to speak without fear, and freely : but 
more would be a bar to such freedom, and prove a 
snare, by tempting you to speak for commendation. 
More would draw upon you the eyes of each College ; 
and expose you to needless ridicule, and prove an 
offence, which few young people are able to bear. It 
would have the appearance of making a party, and 
lead to several disagreeable consequences. There is 
no occasion that you should mention your meeting to 
any one : and if there should be other serious young 
men desirous of such improvement on the Sunday, 
they should make another party ; and so on — three or 
four making up a company. When you are together, 
your great temptation will be levity of mind — a sort 
of merriment very unseasonable — when you should 
be conversing, with all your attention, upon subjects 
of infinite moment. But if you are honest, meekly 
to reprove the first appearance of that spirit, you will 
succeed; and the Lord Jesus will, according to His 
promise, be in the midst of you. Happy shall we be 
to hear you testify He is so ; and that you find your- 
selves strengthened, and animated to live, in all so- 
briety, vigilance, and self-denial, as becometh Chris- 
tians. All send their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN. 
MY VERY DEAR SON, Yelling , Nov. 11, 1777. 

Figure to yourself a miser, glorying in his riches ; 
or the child of ambition, exalted to the pinnacle of 
worldly honour : — their pleasure cannot exceed what 
your letter, received this day, gives to me ; and it is 



EVIL OF A FORWARD SPIRIT. 



227 



neither so pure, nor so well founded. My joy arises 
from the glorious hope of your immortal happiness, 
and of your proving' the highly-favoured instrument 
of spreading the knowledge of a Saviour, amongst 
ignorant, guilty, perishing creatures. My joy arises 
from the promising appearance, that the prayers offered 
up for you, from the hour of your birth to this moment, 
the instructions given to you, and the bright examples 
of Christian piety you have seen, have made some 
effectual impression on your mind. My joy arises 
from the delightful consideration, that you, in your 
early youth, instead of indulging base appetites, sen- 
sual or mental, to fill you with bitter remembrance of 
your ways and doings at college, are desirous to im- 
prove a liberal and learned education, to qualify your- 
self for the noblest office entrusted to men — the office 
of preaching the Gospel, and watching over souls, in 
love to them, and to God their Maker. I immediately, 
therefore, take my pen, and comply with your most 
acceptable request, in sending you the largest sheet I 
have, of advice from the most affectionate heart of a 
parent, who has received so much comfort from you, 
ever since you were my son. 

My first advice is, that you would beware of the 
device Satan too successfully practises against novices 
in religion. When he perceives they are no longer to 
be kept asleep in profaneness or formality — no longer 
to be deluded with the pleasures of gross sin, or the 
love of fame or of wealth — when he sees they are de- 
termined to come out from the world and be separate 
— he alters his method of seeking to destroy them. 
" Be more separate," he suggests ; " distinguish your- 
self; immediately assume the preacher's office : neg- 
lect the peculiar duties of your age and station, and 



228 SUBSTANTIAL PART OF HOLINESS. 

intrude into what does by no means yet belong to yon ; 
force your sentiments upon others ; and consider your- 
self as destined, even in your youth (without expe- 
rience, without knowledge, observe !), to be a reformer, 
authorised to despise your elders, to be impatient of 
submission, to be heady, high-minded : and then, to 
complete the whole, abuse learning, and be confident 
you have an impulse from Heaven, and a •Divine call 
to justify all you do." — Thus I have seen religious 
young men perverted, and made insufferably disagree- 
able, by their false ideas of religion, and a stumbling- 
block in the way of others ; they themselves seldom 
recovering from their forward, proud spirit. Under 
the influence of this proud spirit, they are always for 
overdoing, and for needless, nay, absurd singularities. 
They will even court persecution ; and then swell with 
the idea that they are treated, for Christ's sake, as the 
Prophets and Martyrs were of old. Take knowledge, 
therefore, of the important boundary between separa- 
tion from the world, and this offensive self-sufficient 
excess, in things which our God does not require. 

My second advice is, that you would dwell much 
upon the substantial part of a Christian's life : and be 
assured, if you are not ashamed of this, the fear of the 
world is not your master. The substantial part is 
modesty and chastity, in opposition to pertness and im- 
purity — temperance and sobriety, confronting the sur- 
feit or drunkenness of epicures — humility and meek- 
ness, in opposition to natural haughtiness and angry 
pride — guarded cheerfulness, under a sense both of the 
Divine presence and the mischief of noisy mirth — 
love to God and His word, expressed by a stern look 
when scoffers pour out foolishness; when a double 
entendre, or an infidel sneer, is uttered — love of dili- 



KEEPING A DIARY. 



229 



gent study, serious acquaintance, useful conversation 
— with secret prayer, and meditation on the word of 
Christ. Conscious that you are living thus, and that 
this is your earnest purpose and your daily prayer, you 
need have no fear that you are making a compromise 
with the world, or want that zeal for the Lord which 
true faith inspires. Whilst thus you lay the stress 
upon matters of utmost moment, you will receive the 
blessing of the Lord ; you will win and attract both 
esteem and affection from many; you will put to 
silence the ignorance of foolish men, by well doing. 
Their idea of your religion is, that it puffs you up — ■ 
makes you think yourself better than all besides ; 
actuating you by a spirit of singularity, and love to be 
admired ; — that you are a compound of ignorance, en- 
thusiasm, and spiritual pride. Nothing can convince 
them of their gross mistake, or conquer their preju- 
dices, but humility, meekness, wisdom, and soundness of 
rnind, which those who are really in Christ possess and 
manifest: at the same time, their conscientious attention 
to their duty, so striking, gives them no overweening 
conceit of themselves ; abased as they are, from heart- 
felt conviction how much the Lord has done and suf- 
fered for them — how much they have received from 
His bounty and grace — how infinitely worthy He is of 
all adoration and love ; a very small part of which 
they return to Him, at best. 

My third advice is, that you do, without fail, keep 
an account of yourself, in a diary, written in such a 
character as will be legible to yourself only. Be bold, 
and resolute to do this. I know nothing of greater 
benefit to youth. You will find much opposition 
against this practice, from within ; therefore you must 
be resolute. A faithful account of your time, your 



230 STUDY OF SCRIPTURE CHARACTERS. 

discourse, your tempers — how pride, and selfishness* 
and vanity work — will convince you, you are vile — a 
sinner, exceedingly beyond all you will otherwise be- 
lieve ; needing the help and strength of God, and the 
atoning blood and salvation of Christ. I began to 
keep my diary, hoping to find myself in every thing 
exact, and almost without fault. How was I surprised 
and ashamed, when innumerable deficiencies, and blots, 
and corruptions, appeared ! How convinced, both of 
my guilt and depravity ! — and so prepared to be truly 
thankful for the redemption of my soul. This method 
Mr. Ingham used to practise, and Mr. Hervey ; two 
of the most exemplary men I ever knew. 

I will conclude with advising you to study, with 
much attention and exactness, their characters who 
have obtained the immortal honour, that they pleased 
God ; such as, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, 
Job, &c. There will be much of entertainment, as 
well as instruction, in this method. You may be sure, 
nothing is misrepresented here. You will see what 
manner of persons the Spirit of God does form. You 
will perceive, that supreme love to Him, and un- 
daunted valour in His cause, and resignation to His 
will, fully possessed them. Then, lifting up your eyes 
and heart to their God and your God, beg that, under 
a much more luminous dispensation, and richer helps 
for spiritual life and godliness, you may be a follower 
of them, who are set before you for ensamples. There 
is a great beauty in Scripture characters ; which you 
are always to consider as exemplifications of Scripture 
doctrines, and animating proofs, how much we, by 
diligent seeking, may receive from our most gracious 
and bountiful God. 

If you, my dear son, will at any time specify on 



DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 231 

what particular points you desire my advice, I shall 
have some guide in writing to you ; and shall always 
do it with pleasure. 

I rejoice that your Tutor is pleased with you. 
"Good understanding/' saith the Oracle of God, 
" giveth favour:" Pro v. xiii. 15. Witness Daniel and 
the Three Children; Ezra, and Nehemiah. You are 
sensible this is an additional motive to strive to excel. 

How do your books suit the shelves ? Have you 
room for them ? I hope you mind your posture in 
reading — making good use of your high desk, and 
standing full half your time. My respects to Harry 
Jowett, Farish, and Mr. Smith. 

The Lord J esus be with your spirit ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



The following very useful letter to a young man at College, 
may be introduced with peculiar propriety in this place, 
though of an earlier date. It was written to Mr. Henry 
Jowett, then a student, and afterwards Fellow and Tutor of 
Magdalen College, Cambridge. He succeeded Mr. John Venn 
in the Rectory of Little Dunham, Norfolk, when Mr. Venn 
was appointed to the living of Clapham. 



TO MR. HENRY JOWETT. 

Yelling, Oct. 5, 1776. 
You have never, dear Sir, been long out of my 
thoughts, since you asked me what comment was best 
on the Bible. The inquiry indicated a desire to know 
and please God. It implied a conviction, which all 
must feel before they can be saved, that Divine know- 



232 



DEVOTIONAL STUDY 



ledge is infinitely preferable to all human sciences, 
In answer to your question, I can, from a happy ex- 
perience, assure you, there is one certain way (and I 
conclude but one) of acquiring spiritual understand- 
ing. It is a laborious one, and very contrary to our 
natural love of ease : you will find it in the 2d chap- 
ter of Proverbs, and the first nine verses, compared 
with the command, Deut. vi. 4 — 9. From hence it is 
plain that much pains must be taken in pondering on 
the word of God : we must read it with as much at- 
tention as we do a mathematical proposition ; and 
add to our attention earnest prayer that our under- 
standing may be opened to understand the Scripture. 

The parts of Scripture which we must read in this 
manner, above the rest, are such as describe the Ma- 
jesty of Jehovah; the Godhead of Christ ; His power, 
grace, and redemption of sinners ; our natural con- 
dition, and the transformation begun and carried on 
in the souls of the faithful. These are the material 
and fundamental articles, called, by the Holy Ghost, 
" the wonderful things of God's Law." You are to 
read a little at a time. What you do not understand, 
confess before the Lord ; and ask the explanation, as 
you would from your own dear father, of any thing 
he could make clear to you. Say, " My Lord ! what 
meaneth this ? It is very dark to my mind. I can 
receive no benefit from it, through the ignorance 
which is in me." Say — when you read the most glo- 
rious account of His love, His power, His victory, and 
triumph — " Lord, I see not these things in a light to 
charm and captivate me — not as realities, infinitely 
interesting to my soul — not so as to engage me to 
covet earnestly a share in them ! 33 When you read 
the Scriptures which delineate fallen man, say : " Lord 



OF THE SCRIPTURES. 



233 



how little am I humbled under this charge ! how little 
ashamed of my depravity ! how have I flattered my- 
self, instead of confessing" my sin ! " 

To make more clear this method of reading Scrip- 
ture — which alone, I think, honours it as the word of 
God — I will give you a specimen upon Hannah's 
Song, 1 Sam. ii. 1 — 10. When I read the first verse, 
I look up, and ask, " Oh that my heart may rejoice in 
the Lord ! " — not in temporal advantages, or creature- 
good. I say, " O Lord, exalt my horn or power — - 
enlarge my mouth over my enemy I " and then I call 
to mind my peculiar temptations, my besetting sin, 
and the dreadful assaults made upon me. Then I 
proceed to meditate on the Lord, Holy, Almighty, 
unchangeable; endeavouring to recollect the Scrip- 
ture facts which display these Divine attributes. In 
the 3d, 4th, and 5th verses, I consider the doom and 
end of the proud and arrogant opposers of God's 
government and truth. In the five next verses, I re- 
flect upon His absolute dominion over health and 
strength, life and death, poverty and wealth — His con- 
descension to the self-condemned, and vile in their 
own eyes— His love for the faithful, and vengeance 
against His adversaries. I read and meditate upon 
these ten verses, till grand ideas of the Lord pene- 
trate my ignorant mind ; till I feel His favour is more 
than words can express, and His displeasure the great- 
est evil. 

By practice and habit, this method of reading be- 
comes delightful : and what knowledge is thus gained, 
you will never lose. The Bible is a perfect work in 
itself. Excepting in matters of chronology, and the 
prophetical parts not yet fulfilled, a diligent and de- 
vout perusal will be the means of explaining it sum- 



234 



DANGER OF JOINING 



ciently. We often are destitute of the spirit of prayer, 
and therefore find it irksome to bow our knees ; but 
in this manner of reading the Scriptures I have sel- 
dom failed of finding light and love spring up in my 
heart, and grace to pour out my prayer, as the passage 
engaging my meditation suggests. 

All blessings which can enrich your soul, and make 
you an able minister of Christ, rest upon you ! If I 
can be of the least service to you, be assured you 
may always command me. 

Yours, &c. 

H. Venn. 



It was formerly a custom, in several of the Colleges at 
Cambridge, to allow an annual feast among the young men, at 
the time of conferring the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; and 
such occasions too often became scenes of intemperance. The 
general improvement in the moral habits of the University, 
of late years, has in a great measure abolished such evils. 
But, yet, the warning contained in the following letter may 
not be without its use ; for no young man can enter life, either 
by passing through the University, or by any other avenue, 
without being occasionally exposed to the temptation of joining 
in scenes of riot and intemperance. 



TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, Jan, 17, 1778. 
Very solicitous, my dear son, for your welfare, I 
cannot put out of my mind the danger you must be 
exposed to next week, at the Bachelor's entertainment. 
I regard the danger as the greater, because you did 
not seem apprehensive of it ; nor to have, as I could 



IN SCENES OF INTEMPERANCE. 



235 



wish, a just conception that such meetings are, almost 
without exception, abused, to intemperance and riot 
- — which I do not think can be prevented : conse- 
quently, they should be avoided, if possible. Now, 
were you to come over for three or four days, I do not 
see that any objection could be made ; and you would 
be thus out of the way of temptation. But, if you 
stay, and do go to the meeting', how much need have 
you to beg earnestly, that you may be kept! — for be 
assured, that every one, who has been condemned by 
your exact conduct, will be glad to see you yield ; 
and exert their utmost to overcome you, that you may 
no more be able to frown on vice. I remember dear 
Mr. Adam of Wintringham, (observing how little we 
have to be proud of,) said most truly, that half our 
virtue was owing to our being out of the way of 
temptation. The Oracles of God affirm the same 
thing. The command in them is peremptory : " Go 
out from the presence of a man as soon as thou per- 
ceivest the words of wisdom are not in him." The 
impression necessarily made by our company is thus 
strongly expressed : " He that walketh with wise men, 
shall be wise ; but a companion of fools shall be de- 
stroyed." And lest, from some selfish considerations, 
or overweening conceit of our own prudence and care 
to resist the evil, we might think we can be with the 
profane and remain unhurt, the warning is given in 
very affecting terms : " Be not deceived : evil com- 
munications corrupt good manners." May the Lord, 
therefore, bring a gracious fear always upon your mind, 
of entering at all into the place where scoffers sit, and 
their tongue speaketh against the Most High ! 

Last week, my affectionate friend, LadyLowther, 
entered into her glorious rest. She was indeed an 



236 DANGER OF SCENES OF INTEMPERANCE. 

honour to her Christian profession ! What an anima- 
ting thought, to look up to so many of my intimates, 
now amongst the spirits of the just made perfect ! It 
familiarizes the thought of my own departure, as a 
translation to the society of those who were so dear to 
me when in the body, and I to them, through the 
love of our common Saviour. 

Your mamma and sisters desire their love; and 
wait, with the same anxiety as I do, to hear that you 
are preserved from disgracing your character, if you 
must be at the meeting ; but if you determine other- 
wise, let me hear. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

After the foregoing letter was written and put into the 
post, a letter was received from Mr. John Venn, in which he 
expressed himself so satisfactorily respecting the intended en- 
tertainment, that his father immediately wrote a few lines, 
and sent them by the same post, to say that he should now 
no longer have any anxiety or fear, even if his son should de- 
termine to attend the feast. 



TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, Jan. 30, 1778. 
How thankful was I, my dear son, that the feast 
was abolished, and your danger thus absolutely 
prevented ! What a heathenish way of congratu- 
lating each other on taking their degrees, to be 
intemperate, and exceed all the limits of becoming 
mirth ! How unavoidable the contempt of the Clergy, 
amongst the gentlemen, who, remembering them at 



TEACHING POOR CHILDREN. 



237 



College, even till the time they were ordained, saw 
nothing* in them that would rebuke vice, and lead the 
mind to fear and love the holy laws of our adorable 
Maker and Redeemer ! 

I have just now ventured on an undertaking, out 
of love to the children of my parish. I have en- 
gaged a master to teach them all. How tenderly did 
our Saviour recommend little children to our regard ! 
Had I my time to begin again, I would give myself 
more to this work. In these labours of love, a sweet 
peace of mind is enj oy ed ; and when we teach, we are 
taught by the Great Master of the Assemblies. I 
venerate the name of Dr. Franck, of Halle in Saxony, 
who, when a Professor of greatest note, in that Uni- 
versity, felt his bowels yearn over the children of the 
poor, and became their teacher, though derided by the 
University for his heavenly compassion. So differently 
did his God regard the good work, that, from a small 
beginning, it was soon enlarged to be amongst the 
first charitable foundations — embalming his name for 
ages to come. 

Your dear mother and sisters join with me in love. 

John has been ill. — An excellent servant we should 
feel for, as a brother. Adieu ! 

From your loving father, 

H. Venn. 

The following striking piece of advice occurs in another 
letter, written about this time. 



1 hope, my dear son, you feel how utterly 

insufficient you are in yourself to stand before the 



238 



DR. DODD. 



trial you are called to, in the way of your intended 
profession. Remember Dr. Dodd ! I myself heard 
him tell his own flock, whom he was lecturing in his 
house, that he was obliged to give up that method of 
helping their souls, because it exposed him to so 
much reproach. He gave it up ; and fell from one 
compliance to another, with his corrupt nature ; — and 
under what reproach did he die ! Oh ! be afraid of 
nothing more than the detestable cowardice of a self- 
ish and unbelieving heart ! Confess how much power 
it has in you ; and beg, as a man begs for his life, 
that you may be bold, yet prudent, detesting the per- 
nicious ways of youth left to themselves ; and pass 
through the fire, by the almighty grace of God, with- 
out being burnt, or hurt in your precious soul. 

TO JOHN BRASIER, E^Q. 

Yelling, April 10, 1778. 
Why will my dear cousin call his aversion to 
writing unconquerable ? Surely you write with ease, 
and as one who possesses a natural talent for it ! and 
in communicating your own ideas, you will be re- 
warded ; they will be more clear and strong in your 
mind. Yet I know what it is to find reluctance to 
take pen in hand. I reckon I have not written less 
than seventy letters during the last six months ; and 
several of them very long ones, almost as much as a 
modern sermon. But you, and my other friends, give 
me encouragement, by saying they are not without 
their use. 

I write now to congratulate you on the birth of 
your child. A Christian will receive it as a charge 
of inestimable worth ; and, at the same time, as a 



REFLECTIONS OF AN INFANT. 



239 



patient, whose innate depravity must be guarded 
against, and its cure begun even from very infancy. 
The child is at first little more than an animal; 
afterwards, in a small degree, rational ; and for some 
years, in general, is incapable of being treated as 
spiritual. Wisdom, love, and mercy, call upon us to 
begin very early with our offspring, to oppose and 
subdue self-will — the plague of man— the disease of 
fiends — the enemy of God ! And early and stedfastly 
opposed, it is, in most cases, very soon conquered, 
though not extirpated. No object is more pleasing 
than a meek, obedient child. It reflects honour 
upon its parents, for their wise management. It 
enjoys much ease and pleasure, to the utmost limit of 
what is fit. It promises excellency and usefulness— to 
be, when age has matured the human understanding, a 
willing subject in all things to the government of God. 
No object, on the contrary, is more shocking than a 
child under no management ! We pity orphans, who 
have neither father nor mother to care for them. A 
child indulged, is more to be pitied : it has no parent : 
it is its own master — peevish, froward, headstrong, 
blind ; — born to a double portion of trouble and sor- 
row, above what fallen man is heir to ; — not only mise- 
rable itself, but worthless, and a plague to all who in 
future will be connected with it. What bad sons, 
husbands, masters, fathers, daughters, wives, and mo- 
thers, are the offspring of fond indulgence, shewn to 
little masters and misses almost from the cradle ! 
Wise discipline gives thought and firmness to the 
mind; and makes us useful here, and fit for the 
world of perfect subordination above. 
We all beg our love to Mrs. Brasier. 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 



240 



INFANT BAPTISM. 



TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ. 

Yelling, April 18, 1778. 

It is a great comfort to us, that Christ orders and 
commands us to bring our children to Him, and dedi- 
cate them to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — the 
God whom we adore; that we are commanded to 
bring them to Him, not by the painful rite of circum- 
cision, which, under the Law, signified the putting 
away the filth of the flesh, but by the rite of Baptism, 
pouring water upon them, to signify their natural 
pollution, and the washing of regeneration and re- 
newing of the Holy Ghost, which all need. Our God 
declares, that He will be the God of our seed, and 
own our children. I doubt not, therefore, that you 
will be particular in observing, as I always did, the 
christening- day ; not as a day of feasting, but of de- 
dication, with two or three friends, who would join in 
prayer on the solemn occasion, and in singing suitable 
praises. I am the more particular on this point of 
Baptism, because I find your servant belongs to the 
Anabaptists, and has given our servant one of their 
books ; and I know they are a restless set of people, 
unhinging and disturbing the minds of unlearned 
persons, by continually stunning them with the sound, 
" If thou believest, thou mayest be baptized." Yet, 
after much study, for many years, on that particular 
point, I can assure you, that there is not one single 
instance, in the word of God, of any person, born of 
Christian parents, ever being baptized when grown 
up. All the instances in the Acts of the Apostles are 
of persons who were Jews or Gentiles. I can also 
assure you, that there never was any society of Chris- 
tians that forbade children to be baptized, till fifteen 



INFANT BAPTISM. 



241 



hundred years after Christ : nor is there any mention 
of the persons by whom infant baptism was first 
brought in, or when, or of the least dispute about it, 
in the history of the Church. So that the Anabap- 
tists are injurious to children, without authority from 
God's word, and in direct contradiction to all the 
Churches of Christ, for fifteen hundred years. Yet 
they are so fierce and bigoted, that, in their writings, 
they deny we are Christians, or have any right to the 
Lord's Supper ; nor would they give it to any of us, 
any more than to a Pagan. 

I would not have said so much, but I very well 
know the spirit of the Anabaptists, and therefore 
guard you. And though it is not profitable to read 
controversy, yet your acquaintance, Mr. Addington, 
has published so candid, convincing, and short a 
treatise upon the Divine Rights of Infants to Bap- 
tism, that I would recommend it to you. It is sold 
by Buckland, in Paternoster-row. 

Mrs. Venn, and my children, join with me in love 
to Mrs. Brasier and my sister. If Mrs. Brasier's 
relations have not yet engaged themselves, and you 
will accept Mrs. Venn and myself as sponsors to your 
dear infant, we shall have pleasure in answering by 
proxy ; for we shall not be in town till the last week 
in May, when I am engaged to preach a sermon in 
the Mercer's Chapel, on the 29th. 

Awful, more than ever, are the signs of wrath gone 
out from the Lord against us ! Should it come, there 
is a man, " a Friend" indeed " born for adversity," 
who will be better to us than money, when we have 
neither silver nor gold ; better than a house, when we 
have no certain habitation ; better than national 
peace and quietness, when the sword drinks up the 

R 



242 



EVIL OF A CAVILLING SPIRIT. 



blood of the slain; better than life itself, when we 
shall lay down this earthly tabernacle. In Him may 
we all be found ! 

From your much obliged cousin, 

H. Venn. 

We have had, amongst our visitors, a serious 

young man from Cambridge (who was a month with 
us, two summers ago) : he is now quarrelling with 
our Liturgy and Articles, and going over to the 
Dissenters. Alas ! how subtle are the devices of the 
Enemy ! Such instances as these make men of sense 
and learning dread religion : they say it oversets 
young minds, who never know where to stop. He 
has been two days with me ; and I have since written 
him a long letter. The success is such as you would 
suppose ; — for I scarcely ever knew an instance, when 
young people begin to cavil, and find fault with 
every thing but sinful courses and a sinful heart, that 
they ever stop ; but get into a spirit of debate and 
contention, hurtful to themselves and all about them. 
He is about leaving College : and I trust my son 
sees his error, and will pray to be kept from it. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN, 

(at Leicester). 

Yelling, Aug. 14, 1778. 

On Sunday morning, I was overjoyed with the 

sight of Joseph Hirst, of Yew Green, near Hudders- 
field. He came one hundred and fifty miles, on pur- 
pose to see me ; and stayed till Wednesday afternoon. 
I really think it would have been well worth all my 
pains for twelve years, if he alone had been the fruit 
of them. I could not but admire his great know- 



JOSEPH HIRST, OF HUDDERSFIELD. 243 

ledge of the Bible, the strength of his judgment, the 
wisdom of his words, his great humility, and his ac- 
tive spirit. All his mind is intent to learn and know how 
to do what is good for others. He saves his money, to 
lay out in printing useful little books ; which he gives 
and lends to those around him, with much success. 
He gave me a most pleasing account of John Hough- 
ton, and many more ; so that when I parted with him, 
I could not but adore the astonishing goodness of God 
to me, that I should have been the instrument, by 
preaching His word faithfully, of forming an immortal 
spirit to such usefulness and excellency. 

Amongst the things which grieved me, relating to 
many who did set out well, of whom I made inquiry, 

was poor Mr. , who now, with his two brothers, 

lives at . One brother, the merchant, Joseph 

Hirst works for : this merchant, like the elder brother, 
has been awakened ; but, alas ! the world has gotten 
the victory ! The clergyman has a living, if not two ; 
and resides upon neither. Joseph Hirst says, they are 
confessedly superior in understanding to all about 
them ; and value themselves on being able to make the 
worse appear the better, and conquer in every dispute. 
Oh, that I could pray for them as I ought! Oh, that 
they were wounded in their spirit, till they were 
ready to despair of mercy ; that they might then be 
brought to know that Christ is more than all manner 
of riches. What talents ! and what a perversion of 
them ! What a curse is a fine understanding without 
a humble spirit ! 

Pray remember me in love to Mr. Robinson, his 
wife, Mr. Ludlam, and all friends. I hope you felt 
your soul on fire at the lecture, to be one day like 
your dear friend, who spoke to you in the name of the 
r2 



244 



EVIL OF CONTROVERSY. 



Lord. Oh, study how you may do good to the souls 
and bodies of men ! — This is religion. — The Lord 
Jesus be with your spirit ! 

Your mamma, and sisters, and cousin Venn, desire 
their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Aug. 12, 1778. 

I received, in due time, your kind present, and your 
letter: for both I return you my thanks. Joseph 
Hirst gives me very great pleasure, in assuring me 
that many of you live like real Christians ; and that 
you, in particular, are useful and exemplary. I have 
made very particular inquiry about every one I could 
think of, and the state of the Church. 

I find you are troubled with the Anabaptists.* 

But never, on any account, dispute. Debate is 

the work of the flesh. No one is ever found dis- 
puting about such external matters, till sorrow for sin, 
till love for Christ and communion with Him, till love 
for souls and desire to be useful, are departed from 
the heart entirely, or very much enfeebled. Little do 
they watch and pray, and desire the prosperity of 
Christ's Church, who can find time, or have a relish, 
for any thing but what edifies, quickens, comforts, and 
makes us like unto God in doms; good. The best 
manner of answering disputers, of this contentious 
cavilling spirit, is, to ask them, whether they have 
considered, and do lament, the mischiefs and evils of 

* The letter goes on to state the argument in favour of Infant 
Baptism ; and it was given, in a former letter, to Mr. Brasier. 



EVIL OF CONTROVERSY. 



245 



separation, of strife and contention? whether they 
feel, in their hearts, a great desire of union and peace, 
that all who are in Christ J esus may together lift up 
their voice, and make their attack upon the army of 
the ungodly, the worldly, the covetous ? Ask such 
disputers, what time they spend in visiting the father- 
less and the widows in their affliction ? whether they 
feel joy in supporting the weak, in comforting the 
feeble-minded, and obey the Scripture which com- 
mands us to " receive the weak in faith, but not to 
doubtful disputations ? " In the course of more than 
twenty-seven years, I never knew one exemplary Chris- 
tian a disputer, whether amongst Dissenters or in our 
own Church : and it is a rule with me, to conclude 
any person who can be taken up with a desire to make 
men converts to any notion, and not to Christ, or be 
zealous for any thing more than the life of faith and 
holiness from knowledge of Christ Crucified, is a 
sounding empty professor, or, at best, in a very poor, 
low state. No man in the world more heartily loves 
our worship than myself, nor has stronger objections 
against Dissenters ; yet never in my life did I desire 
to bring one Dissenter to Church. If he were indeed 
alive to God in Christ Jesus, I could praise God for 
him ; and love him not one whit less, though he did 
not worship with me in the same form. 

I am going to publish — what will be printed the 
week after next — a Sermon, for sixpence, proving Po- 
pery an enemy to the religion of Christ. A frank 
will not hold it, or I would send you one. How glad 
should I be to see you here for a week ! — I am not 
able to come, as I designed, into Yorkshire this year. 
I hope to be able, once before I die ; for nothing 
would give me greater pleasure. However, I con- 



246 



SPIRIT OF THE UNIVERSITY. 



stantly remember you ; and every Lord's Day, in par- 
ticular, consider myself as joined with you in one 
faith, one hope, one baptism, one Lord, one life ; and 
hastening to one heaven, where brethren will no more 
vex and grieve one another, and quarrel about any 
thing, when they should do all that possibly lieth in 
them to live peaceably together. 

The Prince of Peace be with you all, and a lively 
active spirit to do good unto all, and especially to 
them who are of the household of Faith ! 

From your very affectionate father in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN, 
(AT LEICESTER.) 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Sept. 21, 1778. 

On Friday, I went over to Cambridge. Finding 
all our friends had left, I walked to Jesus College ; 
and whilst I was solemnly meditating in the cloisters, 
and calling to remembrance the days, alas ! of vanity 

and ignorance, Mr. came up to me, and invited 

me to drink tea with him, with the Senior Fellow of 
Catherine Hall ; which I did ; — and again had a la- 
mentable proof of the spirit of the University, in the 
most decent ! All our conversation was of books and 
authors, and our contemporaries — some preferred, some 
ruined by their own imprudence, and most of them 
dead. Not a savour of that discourse which honours 
God, and becomes immortal beings in our uncertain 
continuance below! 

I breakfasted with the very amiable and sensible 
Mr. Jowett, of Trinity Hall; and afterwards spent 
three hours with him in interesting conversation. 
Whilst we were together, Mr. — came in ; and so 



SERMON BY MR. NEWTON. 



247 



pressed us to dine with them in their Hall, that I could 
not refuse. He was alone, at the Fellow^s table. In 
College only two Students ; and one of them a Soph, 
who murdered the fine grace, by gabbling it over so 
very fast, I could not understand a single sentence, 
nor half a one. Nothing could be more polite ; but, 
alas ! the feast of souls was wanting. 

When I came home, I found Mr. and Mrs. Newton, 
who came here the evening before. He is my brother, 
and fellow-servant to our adorable Lord. What sweet 
society ? What a different species are Christians from 
other men ! how greatly exalted above them ! Oh, 
may you be amongst those few, whose favourite sub- 
ject is that which angels and all the company of hea- 
ven contemplate with delight; which warms and 
purifies the hearts of those who hear you, and excites 
to activity in the service of Christ, and for the glory of 
God! 

Yesterday, Mr. Newton gave us an excellent dis- 
course on the marks of a prosperous soul, from 3d 
Ep. of St. John, ver. 2. The marks were : LA clear 
well-gTOunded hope of our acceptance with God, by 
faith in Christ Crucified. 2. A continued witness of 
God's Spirit, that our sins are pardoned. 3. A con- 
stant exercise to have a conscience void of offence 
towards God and man. 4. A sweet and calm confi- 
dence that all our affairs are under the infallible direc- 
tion of God, so as to be fully satisfied He will do 
with us just as seemeth him good; whether we be 
rich or poor, sick or well, in esteem or despised, living 
or dying. 5, Life and communion with God, in 
prayer, public worship, reading the Scripture, and 
hearing His faithful pastors. 6. An abiding and pleas- 
ing conviction upon the mind, that we, and all we 



248 MR. ROBINSON, AT LEICESTER. 

have, are the Lord's, that we may serve Him with all 
our strength. — Thus may your soul and mine prosper ! 
I advise you, by all means, on a Sunday, to set down 
the principal parts of the sermons you hear. It is of 
great service. — Your mamma and sisters send their 
love. 

On Monday, Oct. 5, I shall send John to meet you 
at Kettering. You must therefore set out at one 
o'clock, to ride twenty-three miles. Be sure you are 
not later in setting; out, lest nio;ht come on. And then 
you may reach home next day by dinner ; which will 
suit better for our horses. — Love to Mr. Robinson and 
all friends. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN, 

(at Cambridge), 
my DEAR SON, Yelling, Dec. 1 2, 1 778. 

I have good news to send you. Mr. Robinson, the 
active, upright, evangelical Mr. Robinson, is Vicar of 
St. Mary's, Leicester. He will not now take your cou- 
sin, nor any more pupils. I have written to him on 
the subject, to desire he would consider the vast use he 
may be of. Children, I think, he should by all means 
give up ; — it is but a poor employment. But students 
in Divinity, I am sure, ought to be with faithful mini- 
sters, and see service, as officers and physicians and 
lawyers do. Too many clergymen come into their 
office perfect strangers to the way of leading souls to 
heaven. 

What joy did I receive from one sentence in 
Mr. Robinson's letter of yesterday ! It was this : — 
" Your son has been a great blessing to young Mr* 



REFLECTIONS ON A THUNDER-STORM. 



249 



How much better that honour, than the ap- 
plause of a world ! May you adore Him, who is 
pleased to make you useful ; and be more humble, 
and more desirous of doing good; so that saints, 
gone before you into heaven, may be your crown : 
and many travelling on with you towards that world 
of glory ; and many to follow, after your labours of 
love are ended ! O glorious work and wages ! How 
despicable a mitre or a crown, the poet's never-fading 
laurel, or the renown of the first of philosophers, 
compared with the gain of winning immortal souls 
to Christ ! 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 



The very striking account which has been given, in the 
Memoir (page 36), of Mr, Venn's behaviour during a thun- 
der-storm, and of the way in which he improved the event to 
the instruction of his children, will give additional interest 
to the following extracts. 



-The new year came in with a violent tempest. 
It blew out one of the windows of my house, in the 
garret, and part of the covering of my barn; and 
roused us up, at two in the morning. Oh, what an 
astonishing privilege, in such seasons, is it, to be en- 
dued with a spirit of prayer — to be able to call upon 
Him, at whose word the stormy wind both rises and 
falls! I never was more sensible of it in my life, nor 
more astonished with the truth, that " the High and 
Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity " has made himself 



250 REFLECTIONS ON A THUNDER-STORM. 

known to His Church under that endearing character 
— the God that heareth prayer; sitting above the 
water-floods, and giving strength and the blessing of 
peace to His Children in the midst of them. How 
different the brutal insensibility of an infidel heart, 
which perhaps may not tremble even in such seasons, 
and the sweet composure of a Christian's mind, fully 
persuaded that lightning and thunder, storm and 
tempest, all fulfil His word, and do His pleasure ! 
This is to understand, and feel as angels do. 

Jan. 14, 1779. 

What an awful introduction was there of the 

new year ! To Christians, it preached the necessity of 
being ready to meet their God : since, had the fury of 
the tempest increased but a little, their houses would 
have been their sepulchres. How weak and helpless 
are whole nations, when the Lord ariseth, either to 
shake terribly the earth, or smite with the pestilence, 
or ravage the guilty land with the devouring sword ! 
Yet such is the extreme folly and madness of men, 
that they put no value on His favour ; they have no 
dread of His displeasure. Oh, may we be wise and 
happy, separate from the licentious, thoughtless, and 
proud ! May we wait for that hour, when our God 
shall come, and shall not keep silence — when a 
mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about Him, 
and a fire shall devour before Him ! — That will be the 
time of honour and glory unspeakable, and triumph, 
for the faithful in Christ Jesus. 

Think what a sight I enjoyed at Cambridge, the 
week before Christmas. Eleven young men sat, 
with great attention, to hear me converse with them 
about the things of God. — I like them much, because 



BIRTH-DAY LETTER TO HIS SON. 



251 



they go on slowly, and most of them study very hard. 
Religion was never designed to be a cloak for idleness 
and ignorance. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, March 9, 1779. 
On this your natal day, my beloved son, I address 
you ; looking back upon the amazing difference be- 
tween the new-born babe, and the youth of twenty 
years of age, with great thankfulness to our God and 
Redeemer ! 

On this day, when the news was brought, that a 
son was born to me, I was called up to see you — a 
mere animal, conscious only of hunger and thirst, pain 
or ease, warmth or cold, light or darkness ; without 
any power to tell explicitly your wants ; and, to me, as 
every new-born babe always is, a living demonstration 
of the Fall — a being utterly destitute, and, had not 
our God implanted the CTopytj^ in the parent's 
breast, would be an insupportable burden to the 
mother who brought you forth. — Then I saw the 
dawn of your rational nature ; and the power of 
speech, the distinguishing glory of the human race, 
began to make its appearance. You heard and under- 
stood enough to become a very pleasing and enter- 
taining child; but altogether earthly, and sensual, 
and self-willed ; — not one idea yet entered into your 
mind, of your Maker, and ever bountiful Benefactor. 
He gave you health, food, raiment, sleep, and affec- 
tionate parents ; but you only heard His name was 
God, without perceiving, in the least degree, your 
debt to His never-ceasing goodness. 

* The natural affection of parents for their offspring. 



252 



BIRTH-DAY LETTER 



Then were you taught to call upon Him for His 
blessing and protection, and reminded of His know- 
ledge and observation of all your actions, words, and 
thoughts ; that you must never begin the day without 
prayer, or lie down to take your rest without implor- 
ing His defence, and thanking Him for His benefits. 
Taught thus by the precepts of men, you discovered 
your zeal to have your God obeyed, before you were 
five years old ; then choosing to be a preacher, and 
determining to compel the disobedient to come in vi 
et armis, if milder methods would not succeed ; for 
you were determined to make use, you said, of a good 
oaken trowel, to bring them to a sense of their sin, if 
your discourse and entreaties should fail. In a few 
years more, I saw you gaining fast the meaning of 
Latin and Greek words, and, by the help of an excel- 
lent teacher, promising to be a scholar. But I waited, 
and your mamma waited, in patience, and in prayer, 
longing to see you impressed with a deep sense of 
things unseen and eternal. We saw you, with great 
pleasure and gratitude to God, an obedient child, very 
easily managed, and no complaints of any thing 
wrong in your conduct. 

After your dear mamma's translation to the spirits 
of the just made perfect (and you resemble her in 
many particulars), I was still waiting for your con- 
viction, by a Divine power, of what you assented to 
through the force of education; for mere restraint 
from vice and fashionable self-indulgences is of short 
continuance ; and no dependence can be placed on 
this. It was therefore a memorable era in your life, 
to me and yourself, when a sense of your wonderful 
preservation, in the article of danger in the stage- 
coach, going to Hipperholme, made a deep impression 



TO HIS SON. 



253 



upon you. All the Children of God can record such 
interpositions; and by them very many have been 
brought to themselves. In two years after this, you 
came under my tuition — not only a son, but a pupil ; 
and much satisfaction I received in your attention 
and diligence ; in your deportment, which gained 
upon every one in the house ; and your steady pre- 
ference of the best and holiest office man can take 
upon him — the office of a pastor in the Church of 
Christ. 

And now the perilous critical time came on, when 
you were to be your own master ; when, leaving 
your father's house, where you saw no company but 
of the Ministers or Children of God ; heard no cor- 
rupt communication ever come out of any mouth ; no 
praises, in the warmth of a sensual heart, of beauty, 
good eating, jollity, or wealth — now the time was 
come, when you must be obliged to hear and see 
what evil and madness fill the hearts of the sons of 
men ; when horses and hounds, and plays and players, 
and courtezans, and their still more infamous se- 
ducers, were to be the subjects dwelt on by those 
around you; when self-gratification in every thing 
fashionable, and the lead in acquisition of science, 
falsely so called, was to be daily present to your 
mind. With what great thoughts of heart, and re- 
peated pleadings before a Throne of Grace, was your 
case recommended ! and with what delight have I seen 
you preserved and kept in the midst of the pestilence ; 
known and dear to some excellent acquaintance ; 
and made an instrument, before you have attained to 
the age of twenty, of doing good to the souls of young 
men by your conversation ! Now is your once-dark 
mind enlightened with truth from God : now the 



524 BIRTH-DAY LETTER TO HIS SON. 

petitions you offered up as a child are become fervent 
prayers — a spiritual sacrifice ; what you received 
with implicit faith from a dear father's lips, you re- 
ceive now from the Oracles of God : you now see the 
rationale, the foundation, in the nature of fallen man, 
of the Gospel doctrines ; and fact confirming the 
Scripture testimony, that there is no peace to the 
wicked ; and that it is wise and excellent, to be 
guided, in all our choice and pursuit, by the wisdom 
that is from above. 

The four succeeding years are the seed-time for 
your whole life, respecting human knowledge and 
the cultivation of your mental faculties ; that, with 
every requisite qualification as a scholar, and with a 
character unsullied by conformity to the world, you 
may, if life is spared, be admitted amongst the wit- 
nesses who testify against the evil doctrine and evil 
practice everywhere prevailing, and come forth en- 
grossed by one grand purpose, from which nothing 
shall ever divert you — a purpose, through the grace 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to spend and be spent in 
His service — to follow, though with very unequal 
steps, yet still with all your might to follow, the 
example of the Apostles, in the doctrine you preach, 
in the self-denied life you will lead, in the longing 
desire of your heart to see the lost saved, and the 
slaves of sin and Satan returning to Zion with ever- 
lasting joy upon their heads, transformed into the 
Divine image, and, with all gratitude, confessing they 
heard from your lips what they found the means of 
their salvation. In this most blessed employment (if 
it please our adorable Saviour) may you work for 
many years ■ and every returning birth-day solemnly 
present yourself before Him, to be endued with more 



PROSPECT OF A COLLEGE EXAMINATION. 255 

wisdom, knowledge, and grace ; till, in the appointed 
hour, you are called to give account of your ministry, 
and find the day of your death infinitely better than 
the day of your birth ! This is the wish, the ardent, 
constant prayer, of 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, March 19, 1779. 
My design in coming over to Cambridge, my dear 
son, was entirely to have endeavoured to fortify your 
mind against your examination, which I concluded 
would have been at Easter. I must, therefore, speak 
to you by my pen. Be anxious for nothing relating 
to this world, is the all-wise injunction of our Lord : 
for anxiety is not only painful, but useless ; not only 
useless, but hurtful — a great hindrance to the exercise 
of the mind ; and productive of envy, as it proceeds 
from inordinate affection. Yet our Lord, whilst he 
warns us against anxiety, exhorts and presses us to 
diligence, labour, and the continual exertion of our 
faculties ; because, by these, the mind gathers strength, 
acquires useful knowledge, is made more sober and 
thoughtful, and convinced, if not intoxicated with 
pride, of the poverty and weakness natural to us ; 
since it costs so much pains and labour to become 
tolerably acquainted with any one science, or to 
excel. 

But how to value knowledge in human sciences 
enough to study and labour in a due measure, yet keep 
free from self-pleasing, self-exalting thoughts, as the 
grand excitement to close application — how to strive, 
as one ought, to do our very best in a place appro- 



256 PROSPECT OF A COLLEGE EXAMINATION. 

priated to study, yet not be cast down and vexed at 
our competitors getting the first place — is a difficulty, 
to most men, insuperable, but by Divine knowledge, 
and the victorious aid of the Holy Ghost. I say 4 to 
most men ; 5 — for there are a few, who seem, in a great 
degree, quite easy whether they are distinguished or 
not, yet, from a love of knowledge, seek diligently to 
acquire it. With me, more corrupt, it was quite the 
reverse. I was exceedingly wretched, for a time, that 
I was not before Dr. Conyers in honour. But, alas ! 
I then had no higher or better aim than my own glory. 
It is not so with you, I verily believe : your studies 
are all subservient to an infinitely-nobler purpose. 
Be sure always to make your prayer, that you may 
feel this more forcibly ; and that you may be wise, 
and learned, and able as a scholar, only to reason 
about the faith of Christ, and the necessity of tempe- 
rance and righteousness, and the certainty of a judg- 
ment to come ; and to place before immortal souls, in 
the clearest method and the most engaging" views, 
things of infinite moment to every one of your hearers. 
You know how much the name of 6 learned/ and that 
'aptness to teach ' which knowledge well digested and 
fluent utterance furnish, contribute, under Divine in- 
fluence, to success in saving souls. This idea, it is my 
prayer may rest constantly, and with great power, upon 
your mind. You cannot impress your mind with it 
but by prayer ; which I trust you make. 

Be assured I shall not be wanting, either in our 
family, or in secret, to implore the Lord Jesus, as 
Paul did for Timothy, to " be with your spirit " ; — 
a great request — the best he could make for his be- 
loved son in the Gospel. For when the Lord is with 
our spirit, as I well know, there is great recollection 



PROFITABLE CONVERSATION. 



257 



and presence of mind; a conciousness of His eye 
over us, and love for us ; a sense of the littleness of 
every thing which would otherwise agitate us ; and a 
full contentment of mind, from an assurance that all 
is ordered for our good. May I hear from you, that 
you enjoy this favour ; and I shall greatly rejoice. 
Your affectionate father, 

II. Venn. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, June 1779. 

Now you are to be much with , be sure to 

make it much your prayer, that you may set him a 
Christian example, in all diligence, seriousness, and 
profitable conversation — that you may have the com- 
fort of helping him forward in the way everlasting, 
and proving, before his eyes, the reality, the lovely 
reality, of true religion. It is with great joy I see 
you have already been of use to him ; and I trust and 
pray you will be a blessing indeed to his immortal 
soul. There is nothing, that I know of, worthy a 
thought, compared with possessing so much grace, 
that every one who comes near you is enlivened 
and edified in his own soul. Thus it was with my 
very dear friends, now high in glory, Mr. Hervey, 
Mr. Walker, Mr. Grimshaw, Mrs. Lefevre. Thus it 
is with Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Ber- 
ridge. What a testimony was that which Bishop 
Burnet bore to Archbishop Leighton — that he looked 
upon his acquaintance with him as a talent, for which 
he must particularly give an account ! So I would 
have it to be with you, always studying to be of some 
use to those with whom you have any intimacy. And 
for this end, it is of great service to be very often 
s 



258 



THE CHILDRRN OF GOD : 



entreating the Lord to endue you with the tongue of 
the learned, and the lips of the righteous, by which 
many are fed — to enrich you with all utterance and 
knowledge, that you may come behind in no good gift, 
waiting for the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Gracious words from a youth are peculiarly striking : 
and are attended with a deep impression, when spoken, 
modestly and with humility ; — and so spoken, I think, 
your words will be. Too many pour out a torrent of 
common-place stuff, without feeling. Happy they 
who speak with recollection, love, and humility ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn, 

The paternal solicitude which Mr. Venn's letters to his 
son display, was, it will be readily believed, no less tenderly 
and strikingly exhibited whenever his daughters were sepa- 
rated from him. I shall therefore next introduce a few let- 
ters, written to them when they were from home, on visits to 
different friends. 



TO MISS VENN. 
MY DEAR ELING, Yelling, Aug, 26, 1779. 

On Sunday last, who should come in, just before 
eight in the morning, but Mr. Thornton, in his way to 
Hull. On Monday, I went with him, in his chaise, 
to Everton, to dinner ; and spent the evening with 
him at Buckden. This interview with one of the 
saints in Christ Jesus, like that of a few days with 
the family at Bedford*, would be dejecting — it is so 

* The family of Joseph Foster Barham, Esq, a member of the 
Moravian Church ; at whose house Miss Venn was staying, on a visit. 



THEIR FUTURE PROSPECTS. 



259 



short — but for the glorious hope, that, in due time, 
we shall be together for ever with the Lord. Often, 
my dear child ! accustom yourself to look upon such 
as you are now with, as Children of God, educating 
to stand before His Throne, the dear objects of His 
eternal love. Some glimpses of such a high distinc- 
tion may be frequently seen here, in the bowels of 
mercy and fervent love they have towards all, and in 
the consolations, and the deep abasement too, they 
feel and express from knowledge of the Lord and 
themselves. Whenever I part with such excellent 
ones of the earth, I have a solemn pleasing medita- 
tion upon their translation to the world of perfect 
spirits — how they will feel and speak — what they will 
know — and how rejoice with those who were once in 
fellowship with them in the body — what a perfect re- 
membrance of all the evil they had escaped ; by what 
wisdom and power and patience in the Lord their 
God ; and with what delightful sensibility they will 
return unto Him, with all melody in their hearts, 
their praises for ever due : — and due not in the least 
degree for the most bitter part of their lot, as it was 
deemed, for a season, in their short-sighted judgment. 

Mrs. Venn joins with me in every affectionate wish 
to our friends. Mr. and Mrs. Barham have done for 
you and myself, in the present kindness to you, only 
what they have been doing, for a course of years, to 
a thousand besides — every thing that can testify a 
most loving heart, the very spirit and temper of the 
choirs above. We shall expect to see the spirit that 
there reigns transfused into you. The Lord, our com- 
passionate Saviour, keep, teach, comfort, and save you ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn, 

s 2 



260 



THE ADVANTAGES OF PRAYER. 



TO MISS VENN. 
MY DEAR ELING, Yelling. Oct. 18, 1779. 

Much were we all excited to thankfulness by the 
good account we received of your safe and agreeable 
journey to your excellent friends. I was making my 
prayer to the Lord our God, and had confidence He 
would hear and protect you. 

Who can enumerate all the advantages of prayer? 
It is designed, by our most merciful and gracious 
God, as a relief, adequate to all the miseries we in- 
herit, as the sinful offspring of Adam. By prayer, 
our sight is recovered ; and though born blind, we 
have the light of heaven brought into our minds. 
By prayer, our fears and painful doubts, as to our 
eternal state, are removed ; and peace, and lively hope 
from the Holy Ghost, are given unto us. By prayer, the 
several ordinances of Divine appointment are made 
effectual, to our great edification and growth in grace, 
and everlasting benefit. Preaching, through the bless- 
ing of secret prayer, teaches, quickens, warms, melts, 
and overcomes our hearts. Public worship is indeed 
an entertainment in the banqueting-house of God, 
where His glory is felt, His presence enjoyed, access 
to Him as a Father experienced, and the overflowings 
of a heart, grateful for innumerable blessings, are 
poured out. By prayer we obtain the witness in our- 
selves that the Lord God interests Himself in our 
welfare, secures us in danger, supports us in adversity, 
and cheers us in the darkest hours; fights for us 
against our enemies ; reconciles us to His own will ; 
and is training us up in knowledge, faith, and love, 
to His own eternal kingdom, prepared for praying 
souls. Remember, therefore, my dear Eling, that all 



SET TIMES FOR PRAYER. 



261 



good is to be obtained by real prayer, and defence 
from all evil within and without. 

A word was dropped, the other day, from your dear 
mamma, which struck me much. Speaking of some 
person, she said, " She was always as recollected as 
Eling, when she came from Bedford." I instantly 
thought of the cause. At Bedford, you had your set 
time for prayer ; which, probably, you observed very 
strictly, amongst those exemplary saints. At Yelling, 
peradventure, not having a room to yourself, you 
might be less attentive. I would have you watch, 
and always examine yourself strictly, about this most 
important matter. Remember, all, all depends upon 
this. None are, none can be, exemplary, but praying 
souls ; who can no more live without stated times of 
drawing near to God than their bodies can live with- 
out food. 

I write this to you after a slight attack, on Satur- 
day, of an ague or fever — I cannot say which. I am 
now better ; but if it is an ague, probably it may re- 
turn. I did not know, when it came upon me, what 
it was sent to do : however, I was exceedingly happy ; 
and though willing, should it please God, to live a few 
years, for the sake of my poor girls, yet far from un- 
willing to depart, knowing in whom I have a never- 
failing, all-sufficient Friend. — Our love to all the 
family with whom you dwell. 

Prom your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS VENN. 
MY DEAR ELING, Yelling, Dec. 7, 1779. 

Probably you are now at , or have just re- 
turned ; and you may have felt your heart too much 



262 



RANK AND RICHES 



wedded to the world, when you were in all the afflu- 
ence it can afford, and were led to imagine your own 
lot hard ; — so obstinately do we conclude the comfort 
of life arises from fine clothes, fine houses, equi- 
pages, and the best meats and drinks. It is from this 
persuasion, young and old are very fools and madmen. 
They will neither hear reason, nor the voice of God, 
nor be convinced by facts nor by their own expe- 
rience ; for reason is in nothing more clear and in- 
disputable, than that the temper of the mind makes us 
happy or miserable — not what we possess. Riches 
always make us think we have a right to indulge ; 
and, bent on self-indulgence, we can never be satis- 
fied : our wants multiply — our appetites enlarge. The 
voice of God, loudly, in every page of Scripture, as- 
sures us the happiness of man is in the knowledge of 
our pardon — in the kingdom of God within us, and 
the abounding hope of glory ready to be revealed. 
Facts attest, none are so passionate, so peevish, so 
often full of chagrin, as the opulent and great- ones in 
the world. Even Solomon, with the largest abilities 
and most intense desire of making; out his comfort 
from things seen, cries out, in bitter disappointment, 
" Vanity of vanities ! all is vanity ! " " Fear God, and 
keep His commandments this, in every station, is 
the whole happiness of man, now and for ever. Our 
own experience attests the same truth. The best days 
we ever know, are those in which we can see some- 
thing of the glory of God, feel how vile we are, yet 
so greatly beloved ; when we are meek and kind, and 
full of good-will towards all men. Such divine tem- 
pers and sensations leave upon the countenance a 
heavenly signature — please all beholders, and prove 
us conquerors over an evil nature and a wicked world. 



NOT A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS. 



263 



This was the possession of the Apostles. This was 
the glory of the poor Nazarene. When the Almighty 
would become a man, he would be no more than a 
poor day-labourer, to demonstrate that the whole glory 
of man is righteousness and true holiness. Happy are 
they who know and feel this ! Their number is but 
small ; yet all religion, short of this, will fail us in a 
trying hour — nay, leaves us at present void of true 
consolation and divine peace. May God give you to 
see through all the deceitful appearances which dazzle 
and destroy so many ! 

I desire you would perform your promise, and write 
out for me Mrs. Vaughan's letter, and send it me in 
your next; and frequently examine yourself very 
solemnly by it. We must grow up to that spirit : our 
life is spared to give us time to do so. I had rather 
be like Mrs. Vaughan, and be in the lowest station, 
than be clothed in purple and fare sumptuously, for a 
hundred years together, without sickness or pain. 

The Lord clothe us all with humility, that heavenly 
dress, which is pleasing to Jehovah Himself! — Your 
dear mamma and sisters send their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS VENN. 

Yelling, Feb. 5, 1780. 
This comes to your hands, my dear Eling, on your 
birth-day ; now of age sufficient to understand, and, 
through the teaching of God's Spirit, both firmly to 
believe, and be suitably affected with your condition. 
You know you are born in a state of exile — at a 
distance from your God, of whose wondrous name you 
hear from His own Oracles, but are not yet permitted 



264 



BIRTH-DAY ADDRESS. 



to see Him as He is. Your life is continued, that you 
may become attached to Him — be of one judgment 
with Him — find your felicity in His love, and the 
lively hope of eternal life in His presence. I wish 
you a happy year, in considering yourself as none of 
your own, but the Lord's — His, not merely as a crea- 
ture, made and supported by His hand, but as created 
again by an act of Almighty Power — rescued from 
vile bondage — discharged from a debt which you 
could never have paid — -justified from a condemnation 
that must have sunk you into the depths of hell — 
raised to the privilege of prayer and praise, of obe- 
dience and love to the Lord Most High, and thus 
already conformed to the very disposition of angels in 
heaven. 

I could wish you to be saying a thousand and 
a thousand times to yourself, " I am none of my own 
— I am the Lord's ! 33 — Infinite honour, unequalled 
grandeur of condition, is included in this relation I 
May I know how to set a just value upon it ! — I am 
the Lord's, to have the benefit of His wisdom and 
unerring counsel. — I am the Lord's, to derive, from 
His might and power, ability to do those things which 
by nature we cannot do, and get the mastery of our 
innate base tempers. — / am the Lord's, to be pre- 
served and defended by His tender and ever-watchful 
care, in this world of pits and snares, and seducing 
objects, and malignant spirits. — I am the Lord's, to 
hear His voice, and treasure up His divine sayings, 
refusing to listen to the suggestions of my own 
deceitful heart, the maxims of mankind, and the false 
promises which sensitive pleasure and gaudy appear- 
ances are continually making to prevail over me. — - 
J am the Lord's, to do the work He has given me by 



" I AM THE LORD'S. 



265 



the allotment of His providence. This I am to be 
intent on discharging, with all diligence, humility, 
and cheerfulness ; no less so than if I had come down 
from Him, having received from His own mouth an 
order, saying, ' Go and employ your time in the body 
in such a manner as I command you : then shall you 
glorify me ; and, when your work is done, I will 
confess you as a good and faithful servant, before my 
Father and His holy angels/ — " / am the Lord's™ 
may you say, not only to live, but to die unto Him I 
Having finished my education in His school, and been 
made meet for inheritance with the saints in light, at 
death I am to enjoy the summit of all my wishes, in 
perfect knowledge and everlasting love. 

Thus may our dear Eling be taught ; and thus 
reckon herself to be alive to God, from the dead, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord ! Then, in all the 
changing scenes of this mortal life, will you be pro- 
vided for. In national calamities, you may greatly 
suffer; yet not without solid consolation, knowing 
the Lord — whose you are, and whom you serve — 
sitteth above the water-floods, directs their motion, 
and decrees their effects. In trouble, He shall speak 
peace. When hurried away, alas ! by some violent 
assault, or overtaken with a fault, His compassions to- 
wards you will not fail : He preserveth those that are 
His. In pain, you will be cheerfully resigned, know- 
ing it is the Lord who chasteneth all whom He 
loveth, andscourgeth them. In the loss of earthly 
friends, however dear to you, you will have a never- 
failing friend in Jesus of Nazareth. This, therefore, 
is the whole my heart can wish you. May you, 
living and dying, be the Lord's ! 

Your dear Mamma is somewhat better ; and, with 



266 



DANGER OF LARGE POSSESSIONS. 



your sisters, desires her love, and wishes you all that 
I do on your birth- day. 

Mr. H. P is now in possession of £ 12,000 a 

year, upon Mr. S *s death, who left him every 

thing. Almost all who hear of this, are lifting up 
their hands, and crying out, " Oh ! what a glorious 
fortune V 3 Did they believe our Lord, they would 
lift up their hearts in prayer, that what with men is 
impossible — to have great possessions on earth, and 
heaven at last — may, by the Almighty grace of 
God, be made possible. Oh, how abject are all our 
notions, when <£12,000 a year sounds in our ears as a 
heaven of delight, affording us ample means to gra- 
tify our selfish nature ; and when, at the same time, 
peace with God, and likeness to Him, have no beauty 
that we should desire them! — I have been thinking, 

if matters had been ordered so that Mr. S had 

died without a will, and by this means Mr. P 

had gained nothing, yet it might have been said, 
" He is dear to God, and an heir of glory 33 — how 
coldly would this have been received ! " I hope he is 
so \ 33 they would have said ; u yet it was a terrible 
misfortune that the young gentleman should lose such 
great possessions for want of a will \ 33 Thus is 
Mammon exalted above Jehovah ; and the thick clay, 
which sinks the soul to earth, above the Holy Ghost, 
which raises it to heaven ! Our love to our dear friends. 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. 
MY DEAR kitty, Yelling, June 27, 1781. 

How kind and merciful has our Heavenly Father 
been to you, in bringing you in safety to Mr. Riland's ! 



BEAUTY OF A MEEK SPIRIT. 



267 



How much ought we to feel our debt to Him, and 
love to His name ! I write to you, who are now in a 
situation a good deal similar to that you will be in 
when you can hear from me no more. Now, all the 
advice you have received from me, and from your 
dear Mamma, you must put in practice ! — and I trust 
you will ! 

Rise always by seven. Be sure you do not omit 
prayer : and strive to pray in earnest, that you may 
be of a meek and humble spirit, which is so pleasing 
to the Lord, and to every one — so becoming to us, 
who are very vile, and deserve nothing good. Yet 
are we naturally so proud, as to feel little obligation 
from our friends, and to be ready to be out of temper 
at every thing that thwarts our own will. The design 
of religion is, to cure us of this vile disposition. 
Prayer in secret statedly, and prayer frequently in our 
mind, whatever we are doing, is appointed to keep us 
from yielding to our natural temper, and to bring 
us to imitate the meek, humble, patient, and loving 
Jesus, our Saviour, and our God. This is the work of 
every Christian ; — and much every Christian has to 
do, to get the better of self. I assure you, my dear 
Kitty, the watching, the prayer, the pains, it costs me 
to get the better of myself, and behave in any degree 
becoming my profession, are much indeed. But the 
victory pays for all. It is a glorious end to live for, 
that we may be like God in our temper, glorify Him 
for a few years on earth, and then dwell in His pre- 
sence for ever. 

On my return, I spent part of two days at Bedford. 
There I saw the faith, and patience, and love of dear 
Mrs. Barham. Nothing can be more dreadful than 
her disease ! It is a cancer ; and one of the worst 



268 



MRS. BARHAM. 



sort Her pam is sometimes extreme ; yet not a 
word, or a look, discovers this. I prayed at her 
bed-side; and she is never out of my mind. Mr. 
Barham, and her daughters, partake of her spirit ; and 
both grieve and rejoice on her account. In this man- 
ner doth it please her Lord to try her. But, in all her 
trials, she can look up to Him, as an infinitely greater 
sufferer for her sins, that she may be brought to Him- 
self in glory! Oh, how desirable her condition, upon 
the whole, even in such sufferings as make the heart 
bleed to think of them ! 

Your mamma and sisters are all hard at work ; and 
tell me they miss you much. I rejoice to hear them 
say so ; for to be of use and service in the family, is 
the praise of every female. Now we are absent, we 
must be particular in remembering each other in 
prayer. This is the peculiar privilege of Christians ; 
and a great comfort it is, when we cannot see those 
we dearly love, that we can effectually express, in 
humble, fervent prayer, the good-will we bear them, 
and ask for them the richest blessings. — All send their 
love. — The Lord of heaven and earth teach, keep, and 
comfort you ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. 

Yelling, July 8, 1781. 
Rising before any one in the family, on this blessed 
day of Sabbath, I write to my dear Kitty, wishing her 
not only to refrain from polluting the LordVday by 
idle talk, but to observe the day, as Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob, and all the most illustrious persons, have done. 



ADORABLE DESIGN OF THE SABBATH. 269 

I am at a loss to thank the Lord our God as He 
deserves, for this means of holy education, and of 
instruction in righteousness, and in the knowledge of 
all God's wonderful works — of fixing at once the 
attention of thousands of thousands upon the same 
object, upon the same adorable Benefactor — of en- 
gaging them all to make a public confession, both of 
their own transgressions, and of His unwearied good- 
ness — of inploring a larger measure of His grace, and 
of representing before Him, by a general intercession, 
the wants and necessities of His poor creatures, and 
our good- will towards them — of deriving support and 
comfort to our own tried and troubled spirits, whilst 
we are in this dark and miserable world, from hearing, 
in His own House, His Oracles and promises of ever- 
lasting love, and of a Rest for the people of God, 
where their sorrows shall cease, and unmixed happi- 
ness, such as angels know, shall be their portion ! 
These views should fill every Christian, on the return 
of each day of the Lord. Be at pains, my dear Kitty, 
to prepare for this day : pray much and often, that it 
may be a very high and honourable day in your eyes : 
lament and complain before God, that your heart is 
naturally profane, as was Esau's — that you are blind 
to the excellency of things spiritual, but can feel, with 
exquisite sensibility, every thing which strikes the eye 
of sense as showy or pompous. 

When I was of your age, I was, alas! a mere pre- 
tender to religion. Though I constantly presented 
myself in the House of the Lord on this holy day, I 
saw not the glory of the Lord ; I understood not His 
word ; I did not hear it when it was read ; I asked 
for nothing ; I wanted nothing for my soul ; so foolish 
and ignorant was I ! I was glad when the worship 



270 RETROSPECT OF HIS OWN EARLY LIFE. 

was over, and the day was over, that my mouth might 
pour out foolishness, and that I might return to my 
sports and amusements. Oh, what a wicked stupidity 
of soul ! — I am astonished how God could bear with 
me ! Had He said, " I swear thou shalt never worship 
me, never ascend into the hill of the Lord, nor see my 
face, who findest it such a weariness to be at church, 
and art so proud and profane in thy spirit ! No, dwell 
for ever with those whom you are like — dwell with 
the devil and his angels, and all that have departed 
out of this life enemies to My name and glory ! " Oh ! 
had the Lord spoken thus unto me in His displeasure, 
I had received the just reward of my deeds. — But 
adore Him for His love to your father ! In this state, 
He opened my eyes, and allured my heart, and gave 
me to seek Him, and His strength and His face, and 
join all His saints who keep holy His day — and to be 
glad to hear them say, " Come, and let us go up to 
the House of the Lord, and behold His fair beauty, 
that we may love Him more, and serve Him better ! 33 
Nay, more than this, He gave me your blessed mother 
for a companion, who loved exceedingly the House 
and day of the Lord ; — and repaired to you and to me 
her loss, by another of His dear children, who sanc- 
tifies each Sabbath with delight, and reverences the 
House of God with her whole heart. Thus, instead 
of casting me into hell, He has made me the father of 
one dear saint in glory ; and of four more, all of 
whom, I trust, fear and love the God of their father 
and of their mother ; — all of whom, I have a lively 
hope, I shall meet in the courts above, in the general 
assembly of the saints in Christ. 

Now my dear Kitty, for your improvement of the 
Sabbath, and our own, and that you may not want 



BIRTH-DAY PRAYER FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 27 1 

matter to fill a weekly letter, which is often the case 
with such as yourself, I desire that you will send us 
the heads, or some of the thoughts, in the sermons 
you hear, either from dear Mr. Riland or Mr. Sander- 
son. This will be of great use, to engage your atten- 
tion more, and to strengthen your memory, and to 
teach you to write with ease, 

We are very thankful that you are well ; and still 
more so that your dear godmother commends you, and 
that you are well ; " though in the greatest hurry ima- 
ginable, 33 so as not to have time to write to your sisters 
more than the fifth part of a letter ! There are many 
inquiries after you. Your brother is come home, 
All send their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. 



To my dear Daughter, C. Venn, on her Birth-Day, August 
12, 1731, entering on her seventeenth year. 
Early in the morning of this anniversary have I 
been mindful of you, and presented my poor but 
sincere prayers at the Throne of Grace, in your behalf. 
It is the pleasure and privilege peculiar to Christians 
to make intercession for their children — to be looking 
up to the Father of Mercies to bestow upon them what 
is necessary for their safety, their comfort, and their 
usefulness. 

I have, therefore, prayed this day for you, that you 
might dwell in safety. My dear Kitty will not be at 
a loss to know on what account she need to pray her- 
self, and to desire all that love her soul to do so too, 
that she may be preserved ; for you know, I trust, 



272 



BIRTH-DAY PRAYER FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 



what enemies are ever working* to destroy you: — 
your corrupt nature is your most powerful enemy. 
Alas ! my beloved child ! from your father and mother 
you derived, as we did from ours, and all from Adam, 
a self-seeking, self-pleasing spirit — a desire always to 
have your own way and will; not to walk in Jeho- 
vah's way, nor to do His will ; a violent love of praise 
and esteem, when we only deserve shame and contempt 
— a love for ourselves, making us utterly indifferent 
how the Lord Jesus Christ is treated by mankind; 
and little attentive to the sufferings, distresses, and 
dangers of our fellow-creatures. Who shall deliver 
you from this deep, extensive depravity of your nature ? 
I pray unto Him who is able, who came from heaven, 
and His high throne of glory there, to seek and to 
save that which was lost. He can and will, upon 
your calling, and lifting up your soul to Him. He 
will create you again, after His own image — give 
you wisdom and power to deny yourself, to do the 
will of God, to love Him in sincerity, and to dwell 
in love to every one. Then are you indeed safe, and 
recovered from that wickedness of heart which must 
have kept you out of heaven ! ! 

I have prayed, also, that you, my dear Kitty, may 
spend your days in comfort — not in show or dress, or 
in abundance of the things of this world, but in solid 
comfort ; knowing that you are accepted of God, and 
that heaven is your eternal home. So our ever-blessed 
Saviour, when about to depart out of this world, told 
His dearest friends : "I will not leave you comfort- 
less : I will come to you." " My peace I leave with 
you." " Let not your heart be troubled, neither let 
it be afraid." — All desire comfort; yet, young and 
old, rich and poor, despise or neglect J esus of Na- 



SAFETY COMFORT USEFULNESS. 273 

zereth. They cannot believe that the Crucified Man, 
who died under the hands of his enemies, is the God 
of peace and hope : hence, none in their natural state 
have solid comfort. One only can give it ! May the 
Prince of Peace comfort your heart, by teaching you 
how much he has done and suffered, in order that he 
might eternally save every poor, helpless, humbled 
sinner, who turns to him ! It is pure, heart-satisfying 
comfort, to know that you have, in the Lord of all, a 
companion, a counsellor, and a most familiar friend — 
who will be ever present with your spirit — who orders 
all your condition, whether you shall be sick or well, 
lose or still enjoy the advantage of very dear relations. 
In a word, this alone is comfort — to have in God a 
Father, to whom you can apply, and rest satisfied with 
all His will. 

But safety and comfort are not the whole I pray 
unto the Lord to provide for your soul. Usefulness 
is the very excellency of life. No man, in the real 
Church of Christ, liveth unto himself. Every true 
Christian is a tree of righteousness, whose fruits are 
good and profitable unto men. He is glad to help 
and to comfort others. He is diligent and indus- 
trious. He speaks to edification; dwells in peace, 
and gentleness, and love. He reproves what is wrong, 
by an excellent example ; and recommends, by his 
own practice, what is pleasing to God. 

My dear Kitty ! how have you been distinguished 
by the Divine goodness — distinguished in the place of 
your birth, in the land of Gospel light — in your 
parents being believers — in the examples you have 
seen — in the instructions you have received, and in 
the pains taken with you. All these advantages you 
are to improve, not as a task, but for your own enjoy- 

T 



274 



DILIGENCE IN RELIGIOUS SERVICES. 



ment — God having inseparably connected our duty 
and our happiness. I figure you, therefore, to myself, 
as maintaining- a wise, discreet, and godly conver- 
sation ; satisfied with the portion the Lord divides 
unto His children ; acquainted with spiritual blessings ; 
filling up each passing day, so as to find time too 
short for all you have to do. 

We all join in the same good wishes. We shall 
be glad to hear you are in health. Your fortnight is 
gone, and we have received no letter : this has waited 
two posts; as I expected one from you. I am going 
to visit Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, both of them very ill. 
Several other friends have been lately taken ill. Full 
of changes is the world we are passing through' 
Happy they who stand upon their watch-tower, and 
are not surprised by any thing that comes upon them 
unprepared ! Next month, I hope to see you : but 
your mamma I cannot prevail upon to stir. She 
has, indeed, staid so long at home, that she cleaves to 
it. All send their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. 
MY DEAR KITTY, Yelling^ July 31, 1782. 

You have given me much pleasure in writing so 
full an account of Mr. Riland's sermon : you must 
have attended closely. Strive to be as attentive 
under every sermon. Avoid, with all your might, a 
trifling spirit in the House of God, and in your secret 
prayer. Great is the gain which is sure to follow 
from being quite in earnest, and labouring against 
sloth and laziness. On the contrary, no benefit is 
received from making many prayers in a spirit of 



THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS. 



275 



indifference : no benefit from hearing sermons, or 
reading God's most holy Word. His Spirit is grieved ; 
our hearts are hardened ; we bring religion into con- 
tempt, and not one evil temper is ever conquered. 
Be bold, therefore, and of good courage ; and press 
on, and strive to do all you have to do with all your 
might. Let one improvement lead the way to another. 
Fix it always in your mind, that you are to answer 
the end for which you are born in the land of Im- 
manuel ; — it is, to follow His example, and be made 
like Him. Had you seen Jesus from day to day, 
when He was of your age, you would have seen him 
very diligent in His work as a carpenter ; subject to 
His parents in all things ; losing no time, but always 
employed in some good work, when He was not taking 
His necessary rest. You would have seen Him, as 
He says Himself in the Psalms, at evening, and morn- 
ing, and noon-day, calling upon His Heavenly Father ; 
and that instantly, or with importunity. 

Oh, what an advantage for us, to have the rule of 
our life and duty all plainly drawn for us in the prac- 
tice and example of one so dear to us — of one who, 
whilst He was setting that admirable and sinless 
example, was labouring for our good — and with this 
very intention, that, having won our hearts by shedding 
His blood for us on the cross, we might take pleasure 
in treading in His steps ! For it is surely one of our 
sweetest pleasures, to copy the manner of those we 
love, and by whom we are most undeservedly beloved. 
Keep your eye, therefore, my dear Catherine, fixed 
upon the Lord Jesus ; and pray to Him that he would 
be your Counsellor, your Guide, and your most 
familiar Friend. 

From your most affectionate Father, 

t 2 H. Venn. 



276 



RELIGION THE BASIS 



After these beautiful specimens of Parental Letters, we now 
return to the regular chronological order of the Correspon- 
dence, 

TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 
MY DEAR COUSIN, Yelling, Dec. h, 1779. 

This day I heard of your intended nuptials with my 
cousin Charlotte, on next Tuesday. From true affec- 
tion for you both, every one of this family wishes 
you every blessing that tender union was by Heaven 
ordained to give. You marry, as all should, filled 
with mutual esteem, and unfeigned desire to promote 
each other's comfort and peace every day ; — a desire 
which must never cease ; as there is no probability 
that it will. Yet can there be no security, as facts 
prove, without the love of God. As His power 
perpetually upholds the whole creation, so a sense in 
the heart of His adorable excellencies, producing a 
steady purpose to please Him, is the only absolute 
security that we shall not violate our social duties. 

Paying the reverence and supreme veneration due 
from us to our God, every one of His creatures (not 
the brute part of them excepted) becomes respectable, 
as His. A good man is merciful to his beast, because 
it bears the impress of his great Preserver's hand upon 
it: how much more to his fellow-creatures — to his 
servants — to his children — to his wife ! Oh ! it is 
beautiful to see the whole circle of good qualities kept 
in continual exercise, and enlivened from a never- 
failing source — the love of God — a source, the very 
same with that which angels and saints in heaven 
drink from, who live in the likeness of their God for 
ever. So far as this principle prevails, domestic 
comfort, civil peace, and the blessings of national 



OF SOCIAL DUTIES. 



277 



prosperity, are secured. May you both be in the 
number of the happy few who possess this invaluable 
treasure of Love divine I — and, as that will prompt 
you, often pour out for each other the most ardent 
prayers that you may inherit all spiritual blessings in 
Christ Jesus ! None but those who have made the 
trial (and I have, for more than twenty years, myself) 
can conceive how this strengthens and enlarges con- 
jugal affection; or with what different eyes husbands 
and wives look upon each other — when they know 
their relation to the Lord, and are, in earnest, candi- 
dates for the eternal inheritance — from what they 
must do, when they know no other connexion than 
the transient one of passing a few years together in 
this disordered world. 

I am much concerned to hear your dear father is so 
poorly. I have written to him by this post. Should 
he come to town, and change of air be of use, I shall 
hope to see him. When you can make an excursion, 
we shall be glad to see you and our cousin here. — 
Do you immediately carry your bride to your house 
in London, or stay for some time at Camberwell ? 
This is a question the females about me ask. — They 
all desire their most affectionate remembrances to 
you both. From yours, very sincerely, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. HENRY JOWETT. 

DEAR SIR, Yelling, Feb. 26, 1 780. 

The sight of your venerable father, so un- 
expected, revived and rejoiced my heart. An old 
disciple, who has always walked uprightly, and been 
a credit to his profession, is one of the finest sights 
upon earth. What is beauty, but a snare ? what are 



278 AN AGED CHRISTIAN MR. JOWETT. 

parts, but an incentive to pride and self-sufficiency ? 
what riches, but the poisonous flattery of the mind, 
making it fancy itself greatly benefited by the sordid 
dust of this earth ? But a circumspect and exem- 
plary conduct, a steadiness in principles truly Chris- 
tian, is a distinguished blessing to mankind — good 
in all relations. I could not help looking on your 
dear father as on the verge of a glorious eternity, 
soon to be admitted to see the Lord as He is, — in 
whom he has believed, and whom he has loved and 
obeyed. 

I have often thought of the justness and great 
beauty of that Scripture-image of a fruit-tree, to 
represent the children of God and the members of 
Christ A tree is itself a pleasing figure ; a fruit- 
tree, laden with its precious produce, still more ; and 
most of all, when its fruit is fully ripe and fit for use. 
Exactly according to the figure, a real Christian is 
lovely in his outset ; more so in his steady progress, 
unawed by worldly fears and hopes, and uncorrupted 
by alluring objects of sense ; but most of all, when 
in old age he bears testimony to the faithfulness of 
God's promises in Christ Jesus — that He will be as 
the dew to Israel — and that the path of the just shall 
be as the shining light, which shine th more and more 
unto the perfect day. You are in your outset — your 
beloved father in the close of his time in which he is 
to remain in the Lord's vineyard on earth, ready to 
be transplanted, to flourish in the eternal regions. 
Yet, what a short space of time separates one genera- 
tion from the succeeding plants ! perhaps not half the 

age of man, in the greater part. 

From your affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 



REGARD FOR HIS LATE FLOCK. 



279 



TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. 
MY DEAR SIR, Yelling, March 10, 1 780. 

Your letter and its contents, which I received on 
Wednesday, much surprised me, and made me feel 
how unworthy I am of your regard for me, expressed 
not only in words, but by your present, which I will 
not in this case give you the pain of refusing ; though, 
large as your family is, I must beg that you will 
never again put yourself to so much expense. 

When I last wrote to you, if I remember, I en- 
treated you not to measure my Christian love for you 
(and the rest of my people, to whom I was made a 
messenger of glad tidings) by my writing or not : for 
the truth has been, all along, that were I to write 
to all my friends, I should have no time for any thing 
else ; and I was under the necessity of dropping a 
correspondence so very large. But this I can assure 
all my Yorkshire friends, that I never forget my con- 
nexion with them, nor to pray for them in secret, and 
in my family ; looking forward to the day when God 
shall make up His jewels ; and many from Hud- 
dersfield, I trust, shall shine as the sun, in the 
beauties of perfect holiness for ever. It has also 
been always my desire, though not yet in my power, 
to see once more the faces of those to whom I spoke 
so comfortably, during the time of my strength, in 
the name of the Lord. Whether that desire will ever 
be granted, He only can tell. But cannot you 
contrive to pay me one visit, as dear Joseph Hirst 
has two, and stay as long with me as your business 
will permit ? I have been greatly comforted by his 
account of some of my dear people, and of yourself 
in particular ; and greatly edified to see J oseph/s 
wisdom, steadiness, and sincerity towards God. 



280 



ATTACK OF ILLNESS. 



What you have heard of my poor state of health, 
is true. I have had an ague every third day (with 
little interruption) for five months ; which has re- 
duced, a good deal, both my strength and flesh, and 
has disabled me from doing the little I was busied 
in before ; so that I cannot any longer speak to my 
people in the kitchen, as I was used to do. It may 
be, that my work is nearly done. I am able to say, 
" Even so, O Lord ! if it seemeth good in Thy 
sight ! " All I desire is, whilst I live, to be of some 
use ; and, in every step I approach towards my 
departure, to behave as a standard-bearer in the 
camp of Christ ought — to be not only patient, but 
cheerful, thankful, and triumphant; that the for- 
malist and profane, with whom I have been waging 
war, may hear that I have finished my course with 
joy ; and my friends in Christ say, " He lived unto 
the Lord, and died unto the Lord/* It is a matter of 
great thankfulness, and yet of humiliation, that I 
receive several accounts of the honour my God is 
putting upon my labours, poor as they are. My 
"Duty of Man" is used by Him to open the eyes 
of many. And I received a letter, only last week, to 
desire leave to publish a third edition of my Four- 
teen Sermons, first published in the year I came to 
dear Huddersfield, 1759. 

44 O may we ne'er to evil yield. 
Defended from above ! " 

Stand fast, my dear fellow-soldier, in the faith 
which worketh by love ! Take notice, when you 
read, that our Saviour and his Apostles speak much 
more against the abuses of grace, and empty pro- 
fessors, than against open sinners and scoffers, So 



his son's coming of age. 



281 



does man's heart seek his own ease, profit, and in- 
dulgence in some sin, that he will be sure to pervert 
and abuse the doctrines of grace, in order to have 
his will with the less upbraidings. 

My son came of age yesterday. I am greatly 
blessed in him. He is no great talker ; which I ap- 
prove much: his growth has been slow; which is 
always a sign things are well weighed and con- 
sidered. He is much respected for his excellent 
conduct. So that I hope, nearly as soon as I cease 
to teach and preach Jesus Christ, my dear son will 
open his mouth, and declare the glad tidings, and 
live himself a monument of the power and grace of 
Christ J esus our Lord. 

From your much obliged friend, 

H. Venn. 



In another letter to one of his daughters, Mr. Venn thus 
describes his way of spending the day on which his son came 
of age. 

Last Thursday was a memorable day; the 

day your brother came of age. He and your cousin, 
Mr. Hey, Tutor of Magdalen, Mr. Farish, and the 
two Messrs. Jowett, came over and spent the day 
with us. I commended your dear brother in prayer 
to our God and Saviour, after praising Him for the 
preserving and restraining grace by which he had 
been kept, and for the measure of knowledge and 
taith he had received ; and then we sang a hymn 
proper to the occasion. The day was a pleasant one 
indeed to us all, principally in hope of sitting down 



282 



" COMING FROM THE WILDERNESS, 



together in the Kingdom, when I trust and pray I 
shall have the company of my dear children for ever, 
when they are wrought up to the fulness of perfection 
in the presence of God and the Lamb ! 



The next letter introduces the name of a new correspondent 
— the Lady Mary Fitzgerald, a daughter of the Earl of 
Bristol, and wife of Edward Fitzgerald, Esq. 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 

MADAM, Yelling, April 9,1780. 

Two Scriptures I have had, for some weeks, very 
strongly impressed on my mind, as entirely applicable 
to your case ; and I have not failed to offer them up, 
both alone, and with Mrs. Venn, not doubting their 
fulfilment to your precious and immortal soul. 

The first (Cant. viii. 5.) is a very affecting repre- 
sentation of the Bride, the Church of Christ, and con- 
sequently of every one of the true believers in His 
holy name. Their present trying condition is repre- 
sented by their being in a wilderness — in a dry and 
barren land — a land full of pits and snares — a dreary, 
gloomy land. Thus, as Israel was led up through 
this perilous state to Canaan ; so we are to be exer- 
cised, and brought into circumstances which call for 
divine support to bear them well. Who is this that 
cometh up from the Wilderness ? The question is 
asked by the members of the Church, with a tender 



LEANING UPON HER BELOVED." 283 

sympathy for an afflicted sufferer, and also with com- 
fort and assurance for the grace exercised in this case. 
Leaning upon her Beloved, not trusting to her own 
vain reasonings, in matters which are much above our 
understanding ; not attempting, by a philosophic spirit, 
to calm her mind, or, from a consciousness of strength 
in herself, labouring to make her way through sur- 
rounding difficulties. These are not the weapons of 
our warfare. The Church has a Friend and a Be- 
loved. Abandoning all hope of relief from herself, 
she not only looks to Him, but finds Him very nigh, 
offering His all-sufficient arm, with a look of more 
than parental love ; on which He invites her to take 
hold, that in His strength she may be carried through, 
and over all, with advantage, and even matter of 
thanksgiving, in the end.-^-A beloved Friend, known 
and tried, of tender feelings, and able to enter into all 
that most affects us ; to whom we need not even use 
a word to manifest what we would have, because He 
perfectly conceives every desire formed within. — A 
beloved Friend, who esteems himself the more honoured 
the more we lean upon Him, expecting no degree of 
help from the creature ; and who, at • the same time 
that He upholds us by His arm, will speak to us by 
the way, and tell us of His own sorrows and trials, 
and fears, and cries, and agony, during the whole of 
His humiliation ; pointing these out as proofs how 
fully bent He is to keep us and preserve us, so that 
none shall be able to pluck us out of His hand. 

Such a friend, and such a beloved Friend, have you, 
Madam, found, through the adorable and special grace 
of the Lord towards you. And whilst you are walking 
in the dreary path, He is with you, infusing uncon- 
querable strength, and sweet acquiescence, under the 



284 



" EVERLASTING STRENGTH. 5J 



stroke of His holy hand, repeated several times in a 
short space. But what are our sharpest sufferings, 
compared with the honour of such a friendship ! 
Thus, in considering your Ladyship as exactly in the 
case above described, coming' up out of the wilderness, 
leaning* on your Beloved, I have received comfort and 
assurance you are, and must be blessed, even under 
your afflictions. 

The other striking Scripture which, in my mind, 
has been connected with your case, is the command 
given to the children of Christ : Isaiah xxvi. " Trust 
ye in the Lord for ever ! for in the Lord Jehovah is 
everlasting strength . . . Thou wilt keep him in per- 
fect peace, whose mind is staid upon Thee ; because 
he trusteth in Thee." Such a positive declaration, 
from such a mouth, what authority and power does it 
carry with it I What a full proof, that very particular 
care is taken, from the Divine foresight, of the several 
calamities and distresses his children are to feel ! 
And full provision is surely made for their long- 
suffering, when everlasting strength is to be their 
place of refuge ; when Divine veracity is engaged to 
keep the mind (as a city is kept by a brave garrison 
which strikes terror into the enemy), however besieged 
with outward troubles, in peace. Not that this peace 
extinguishes the most pungent feelings of anguish. 
It did not in the Captain of our Salvation. He 
poured out prayer and tears ; and though His trust 
was unshaken, His soul was full of trouble. Though 
this is a paradox to the world, the children of God 
understand it, and know it to be true ; just as they 
can suffer torturing pain of body, yet the peace of 
God rules over all that is evil. 

I am praying now — as I am sure I should be the 



A FARMER OF YELLING. 



285 



basest of men did I not— that my approaching inter- 
view with my London friends may be of some use ; 
— that they who are so attentive to my welfare may 
receive something" for the comfort and growth of their 
souls, under the word I may be able to preach. For 
though, adored be the grace of God ! I always do 
wish to profit my hearers, yet I cannot but wish espe- 
cially to speak some good to those to whom I am 
exceedingly indebted. 

I was, a few days since, greatly encouraged by a 
young farmer, who was educated for a higher form of 
life at the University, and came to settle, three years 
ago, in my parish, a perfect infidel. He is now going 
to be a steward in Ireland ; and said, in company 9 
lately : " Though I have lost more than ^£200 by my 
farm here, I shall never repent my coming. I have 
gained at the church what is worth more than the 
world." — Yet was my wretched, unbelieving heart 
vexed at his coming, and the removal of the farmer 
he succeeded. I have had several conversations with 
him ; and trust, though he will neither hear nor see 
many Christians where he is going, the Lord Jesus 
will be his Prophet, Priest, and King, for ever ! 

To that adorable Lord I commend you ; and re- 
main your very much indebted friend, 

H. Venn. 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 

MADAM, Yelling, July 1780. 

I received your Ladyship's letter in due time ; and 
write now to give you, I am very sure, a pleasure in 
perusing the epistle I am going to transcribe, after I 



286 



ACCOUNT OF A LADY 



have acquainted you with some circumstances relating 
to the writer of it. She is a Lady of Family ; and, 
when about nineteen years old, was dressing, in the 
bloom of youth, for the county assembly, when in- 
stantly all the gay ideas which filled her mind, and 
all her flattering prospects, were changed into painful 
terrors of death and judgment, by the accident of 
swallowing a pin. Fearing that the consequences 
might be fatal, she looked upon herself as called upon 
to prepare for death, and began to do so. It was not 
long before she had an opportunity of hearing the 
Gospel, which came upon her mind as the showers 
that water the earth. The love of Christ Crucified 
constrained her ; and for near thirty years she has 
been a shining light, laying herself out, in every way 
in her power, for the benefit and salvation of her 
fellow-sinners. I am not myself so happy as to know 
the Lady, though intimate with some of her very 
near relations*. Hearing this letter read, I desired a 
copy ; and, as T think it very excellent indeed, I 
transmit it to you. It is as follows : — 

"When we come with our whole heart to stand 
before the Saviour, we shall see our own corruption 
so great, that we shall think every one better than 
ourselves ; and therefore we shall be such poor worms 
in our own eyes, as to bear to be pushed about on all 
sides, and bow and bend to every thing. We shall 
take whatever befals us patiently, and be in a state 
of submission to every body. Our own deficiency 
will so fill our eyes, that we shall not be able to see 

* This Lady was Miss M. Vaughan, daughter of Admiral Vaughan, 
who had a seat near Haverfordwest: she was a member of the 
Moravian Church, and sister of Mrs. Barham of Bedford. See p. 263. 



WHO SWALLOWED A PIN. 



287 



that of other people. We shall love every creature 
for His sake who made them ; and shall have the 
mind which was in Christ — a desire of ministering to 
others, rather than of being' ministered to ourselves. 
We shall wish to serve all the world ; but shall desire 
no service from the world ; knowing* we deserve 
none. We shall wonder at the kindness and love 
shewn to us, feeling ourselves unworthy of it : much 
more shall we be sometimes in astonishment, to con- 
sider that our Saviour should love and suffer so much 
for us. We shall look at Him on His cross, and 
weep. We shall look at our own hearts as the cause, 
and then weep again ; and our whole attention will 
be to Him and His service. Thus viewing Him, the 
world lessens in our eyes more and more, We feel 
our time too important to be taken up with any thing 
in it. We have nothing to do here, but to serve 
Him in love, and watch against the sad remainders 
of our corruption, which so frequently remind us of 
our sinful condition. This is the proper state of a 
soul entirely attached to J esus ; the sweetest name 
that ever was heard ! " 

I know, Madam, how much these are your own 
feelings and views. How exceeding great the power 
which can implant, and cause them to increase, in 
hearts so opposite to them as ours are ! What a 
marvellous transformation of character was effected by 
the swallowing of a pin, which became to her a loud 
call to prepare to die ! But for this, dress, equipage, 
visits, cards, pleasures, as they are called, in quick 
succession, would have engrossed her immortal mind ! 
Instead of wisdom flowing from her lips, a continual 
effusion of idle talk ; — instead of an example of meek- 
ness and heavenly affections, haughtiness and love 



288 



LADY SMYTHE. 



of pre-eminence would have reigned in her ; — instead 
of many won by her life, and relieved in soul by her 
instruction, and comforted by her bounty, there would 
have been many confirmed in folly and delusions 
deadly to the soul, by her conformity to their practice 
and the fashion. Here is the truth and reality of 
Redemption, seen and felt in its incomparable fruits ! 
—an anticipation, in some measure, of that state we 
are training up for, when we shall be perpetually 
dead to all that is selfish, and be filled with all the 
fulness of God. 

I am very happy that you are much acquainted 
with my honoured friend and patron, Lady Smythe : 
and how should I be transported, if the day of her 
deliverance from the spirit of fear, which has pain in 
it, were come ! It is indeed hard work to hold on in 
the narrow way, in opposition to the world, without 
the light of God's countenance, and the pleasures of 
His holy service. 

I see, by the papers, Dr. Knowles has written upon 
the Passion of our Saviour. I hope he has found his 
life in those tears, and groans, and wounds, and agony, 
and death. It is rare for a Doctor in Divinity to 
exercise his thoughts upon such a subject. How is 
the remembrance of that adorable Redeemer gone out 
of this land ! May we consider ourselves as witnesses 
for His despised truth and salvation ! We shall soon, 
from being amongst the few, stand with the vast 
multitude, whom no man can number, before the 
Throne of God and the Lamb. — Mrs. Venn begs her 
best respects. 

From your much-indebted servant, for Christ's sake, 



H, Venn. 



INTENTION OF REVISITING HUDDERSFIELD. 289 



In a life of such even tenor as that which this Memoir 
records, an event now occurred of great comparative interest. 
Mr. Venn had long desired to revisit Huddersfield ; ten years 
having nearly elapsed since he had left it ; but various hin- 
drances prevented the accomplishment of his wish. The next 
letters describe the circumstances of the visit, and some 
striking occurrences connected with it. 



TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 
MY DEAR NEPHEW, Yelling, Sept 14, 1780. 

Though I have lost my ague since the 9th of July, 
yet I have but little strength. I am therefore advised 
to try riding by short j ourneys, and change of air; for 
which purpose I intend setting out next week for 
Yorkshire, and shall be absent two or three months. 
Mrs. Venn is afraid of the journey; and chooses 
rather to stay with my daughters. If this journey 
does not help me much, I am to try Bath waters. 

Thus I am taking a great deal of trouble, at much 
expense, to recover the health of a body impaired and 
old, and which, after all, can stand but a few, a very 
few years. But what do we not owe to our Im- 
manuel, who opens a transforming prospect before us, 
when our body is decayed ? He is present with us, to 
cheer the mind, and prevent the gloom which would 
otherwise oppress it ; and to assure us, that we shall 
immediately, by death, join the vast society of spirits 
perfectly free from all error and all sin — all living in 
the light which will not admit of disagreement — 
knowing the truth, and beholding each other's heart 
full of boundless love to God, and to every angel and 
saint around them — active, without fatigue, like the 
u 



290 faith's transporting prospects. 

Great Father of the family — and appointed to the 
most noble exercise of immortal faculties, without the 
least corruption or abuse of them ; all being inces- 
santly employed according to the will of their adorable 
Author ; when, instead of seeing- human nature, in ten 
thousand instances, so depraved as to make us blush 
we are of the human race, we shall see it exalted and 
honoured, without spot or wrinkle upon it. 

Such, my dear nephew, are my prospects. — Though 
I love my family, and have from each of them much 
satisfaction, and would do all to make them com- 
fortable, yet neither wife nor child can fill me with 
regret, should I pass into eternity before we have 
lived much longer together. 

I write this to you in the openness of my heart, 
that you may see godliness is indeed great gain. Oh ! 
it is worth a thousand worlds, to be ready to depart, 
and to finish our course with joy. 

From your affectionate uncle, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS JANE VENN. 

Halifax, Oct 11, 1780. 
Tell your beloved mamma, my dear Jane, that the 
account of her cheerfulness and good health has made 
me rejoice ; and without any alloy, save such as ab- 
sence from her must cause. I now take pleasure in 
the wonderful scene passing before my eyes. By this 
expression, I mean the very great degree of affection 
so many are expressing for me; and the delightful 
account I hear of so many souls walking in the light, 
and living in the love of Christ. Would it not bring 
tears into your eyes, to hear one after another, with a 



MR. VENN REVISITS HUDDERSFIELD. 291 

countenance full of love, declare they have reason to 
bless God for ever, that they had heard my voice ? 

Last Sunday, I preached at Huddersfield twice. 
Fifty minutes was the length of the first sermon : 
fifty-three, of the second. No vociferation at all, in 
the first : in the second, very little. The church was 
more than filled in the morning : in the afternoon, 
several hundreds were in the church-yard, and hun- 
dreds went away. The gallery was so loaded, as to 
crack and give way during the Prayers ; but was, by 
bringing a strong prop immediately, kept from falling. 
This vast congregation was silent, and still as possible. 
After sermon in the afternoon, I was less fatigued 
than I could have supposed possible, considering how 
very hot the church was. The hymn was admirable s 
and every creature joined. It was a picture of heaven. 

You can hardly conceive the care they all express 
for me ; and desire I may not preach more than will 
agree with me. When, from the pulpit, I beheld so 
vast a multitude in and out of the church, I was very 
awfully struck with this idea — what dreadful conse- 
quences must follow should the man they make so 
much of, fall into wickedness I How would the un- 
godly triumph, the weak be stumbled, and the Chris- 
tians mourn in secret ! Pray for your father, my dear 
child ! that God, for His own truth J s sake, may give 
me to persevere in His good ways. Terrible is the 
falling away of any who make profession, and act 
quite contrary to convictions ! 

A lady here, Mrs. , thus relates her own sad 

case : <v Madam, once Mr. and I were both in 

the right path. I drew him into the world again. I 
am now the most miserable of beings ! When I lie 
down, I fear I shall awake in hell. When I go out, 
u 2 



292 



REVISITING HUDDERSFIELD. 



full-dressed, and seem to have all the world can give 
me, I am ready to sink under the terrors of my own 
mind. What greatly increases my misery, is the re- 
membrance of the dying speech of my own sister ; who 
told me she had stifled convictions, and obstinately 
fought against light, to enjoy the company of the 
world. 4 Sister/ said she, ' I die without hope. Be- 
ware this be not your own case f / — But, indeed," 

said Mrs. to the lady, " I fear it will !" Pray, 

my dear children, for singleness of heart, and for such 
a revelation of the excellency of Christ Jesus as will 
leave no place for halting or dividing your affections. 
May they all centre in Him ! 

You will like to know what my subjects were at 
dear Huddersfield. The morning was, Psalm xix. 
12 — 14: the afternoon, 1 Cor. iii. last verse. I am 
to preach, if well, next Sunday, at Dewsbury. — I 
parted, this morning, with Mr. Richardson of Howarth, 
who asked very kindly after you all ; and with Mr. 
Wilson, of Slaighthwait, who gave your brother an 
excellent character, for his behaviour at Hull. — Let 
me know if Mr. Jowett can serve Yelling longer than 
the four next Sundays. You must order in a fresh 
supply of coals. Oh ! what fires have we here ! You 
are a Yorkshire lass : you need not be ashamed of 
your county. My best love to your mamma, your 
brother, and sisters. 

The Lord be with you all, and, if it please Him, 
give us a joyful meeting ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



JOURNEY INTO YORKSHIRE. 



293 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan. 24, 1781. 

Yours of the 3d instant was a most acceptable 
letter. I was afraid, when compelled to refuse your 
kind invitation, and deny myself a very great pleasure, 
you might be uneasy at it ; for where there is love, 
even Christian love, there will sometimes be a little 
stirring of jealousy : yet I assured myself that you 
knew well there is scarcely a man in the world with 
whom I have so much intimate communion as with 
yourself ; consequently, I should with exceeding joy 
have visited you in your own habitation, and at the 
head of your flock — with your very excellent partner 
to see her keeping in good order all the matters in her 
own province. Glad indeed should I have been, to 
have confirmed the word of your testimony, and proved 
to your people how exactly we agree in our manner of 
preaching Christ Crucified! To all these pleasures 
I should have added the sight of some of your ex- 
cellent fellow-labourers, and of my old, venerable, and 
much-loved friend, Mr. Adam. But if you had heard 
how peremptorily the doctor forbade my travelling so 
late in the year ; and considered what pain Mrs. Venn 
and my family would have felt, if all my absence from 
home, and expense, had been frustrated by imprudence 
at last ; you would conclude I had acted wisely. 

But since, in Providence, I was disappointed of my 
visit to you, you shall read a good deal of what I 
should have told you in your own house. — It had long 
been my wish once more to see the people who were 
called, by the grace of God, under my poor ministry. 
For this I had offered up many prayers ; but I little 
thought my long ague, and the wasting of my strength, 



294 LEICESTER ELLAND HUDDERSFIELD 

was to be the immediate cause of obtaining my wish. 
The second day after I left home, the excellent Pastor 
of St. Mary's, at Leicester, met me; and we had 
sweet conversation together: indeed, he is always 
doing good — wise, learned, zealous, yet very judicious 
— sound in moderate Calvinism, yet truly practical 
and experimental. His enemies have their mouths 
stopped ; their revilings having lost all their impres- 
sion. I could see him, when I was walking with him 
through the streets, revered by young and old, and 
in many countenances a joy at the sight of his person. 
Oh ! there is a divine influence very perceptible in every 
one whose whole heart is intent upon exalting God, 
and bringing the poor sinners to His own Son for life ! 
From him I went to Mr. Walker's at Rotherham, an 
old disciple, living, with his wife, and some of his 
children, in a spacious mansion, surrounded by a large 
village filled with his own manufacturers, and built by 
him for their use. He has a love unfeigned for our 
God and Saviour. There I staid two nights : and the 
next day I dined at Thornhill with our friends ; and 
saw our dear Powley. The day after, which was 
Friday, I reached Shaw Hill ; and, passing through 
Elland, engaged to preach there the Sunday following. 
This was presently known in that populous country j 
and I met with a great number from Huddersfield, in 
the House of the Lord. After Service, we saluted 
each other ; and our meeting was exceedingly tender 
and affecting. They were cast down, to see me so 
thin and weak, compared to what I was when I left 
them. But the Yorkshire air, and constant riding, 
soon gave me a good appetite and good sleep, through 
the Divine blessing. I had strength to speak thirty 
times in the nine weeks, without hurting myself. 



BIRMINGHAM. RETURN TO YELLING. 295 

Nothing can exceed the kindness and love all my 
friends shewed — and the joy they expressed at my 
visit — and the good, many persons said, they received. 
I could not but bless God for dear Mr. Olerinshaw. 
I heard an excellent sermon from him in the Chapel at 
Bierley ; which gave me the more pleasure, because 
of the loss the people sustained upon your removal. 
From Halifax I travelled to Birmingham ; and saw 
our honest and highly-favoured brother, in his unin- 
termitted attention to the work of his ministry. I had 
an opportunity of speaking five times, in eight days, 
to his very numerous congregation. I left him on the 
Monday, December 10 ; and arrived safe at home the 
Friday following, laden with mercies, to see my family 
in peace. Oh, that my health restored, and life pro- 
longed, may be more useful than ever ! I have again 
my people in an evening — a third of the village — to 
hear the Word of God, twice or three times a week, 
not without comfort and a blessing. I am persuaded, 
if our strength will bear it, we must work in the 
week-days. Pray remember me most affectionately to 
Mr. Adam. Now my health seems restored and my life 
a little prolonged, pray for me, that both may be of some 
use to my family, friends, and the Church of God ! 

Mrs. Venn, my son and daughters, with myself, send 
love to you both. May you be wiser — stronger in 
body and mind — more useful — full of peace and joy 
in believing — all athirst for Christ, and for a rich par- 
ticipation of His salvation ! How truly happy shall we 
soon be in Him, when we go hence ! 

From your own affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 

P. S. What a length of writing ! Some men would 
sooner ride from Hotham to Yelling than write it all. 



296 AFFECTION BETWEEN MR. VENN & HIS LATE FLOCK. 



The following letter was written, during his journey home, 
to one of his Huddersfield friends ; and records a pleasing 
testimony of the affection and gratitude they still cherished 
for their late revered Pastor. 



TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Birmingham, Dec. 9, 1780. 

Our bodies are again far distant from each other. 
Not so our souls : — they are, I trust, bound up in the 
bundle of life, with the Lord our God ; and are 
nourished by the same heavenly food, taught by the 
same unerring* Spirit, made glad through the same 
jo}tful tidings, and intent on the same work — to serve 
and please the Lord. Faith realizes these things ; 
and gives us all to look to the gathering together of 
the saints in Christ, when Pastors and Teachers, with 
their people who received the word, shall all know as 
they are known. 

So many were the mercies, and so great the kind- 
nesses of my dear Yorkshire friends, that I shall not 
be able, whilst on my journey, to take a due survey of 
them. When I am at home — which, God willing, I 
purpose being on Friday next — I shall be quite lost 
in wonder, that such a one, as I know myself to be, 
should ever be so highly esteemed. Indeed, it was 
much my desire and prayer that I might, once before 
I died, bear afresh a testimony in favour of the prac- 
tical and experimental knowledge of Christ, and Him 



HIS SON TAKES HIS DEGREE. 



297 



Crucified, by which all the good that is done upon 
earth is done by the Lord. I have had many precious 
opportunities of so doing ; and verily believe it will 
be found, in the Last Day, that my visit was not in 
vain in the Lord. How much do I owe to the esteem 
and love of my friends, that they have taken such 
ample care that all the charges of my journey should 
be defrayed, and much more; — not that I desired* 
with much truth I can say, any gift, but fruit — the 
fruit of more grace, faith, and love, abounding in their 
souls. 

Pray give my love to your dear mother and wife. 
Happy was I to see you all so united, and living in 
the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy 
Ghost ! Remember me to Joseph Hirst and Barbara, 
William Scholefield, and all friends. — The Lord J esus 
be with your Spirit ! 

From your friend and pastor in Christ, 

H. Venn. 



In January 1781, Mr. John Venn tcok the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. The event is thus noticed : — 

My son has taken his degree. He was very 

much embarrassed and agitated in mind, through 
excessive fear — a terrible hindrance to him in ex- 
pressing himself, when examined. He has not, conse- 
quently, obtained so much honour as he would 
otherwise have done. The Examiners assure my 
friends he deserved a much higher place. My design 
is, that he shall stay one year at College, till he is 
ordained, to employ his time wholly in proper study 
and much prayer, as I have reason to think he will. 



298 



SCHOLARS TOO OFTEN SELFISH. 



TO MR. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, March 18, 1781. 

Yesterday, I had a melancholy ride to , 

to visit Mr. , dangerously ill in his bed. He 

sent for me. Oh, how has he smarted, and been 
in terrible fear, for having loved the company of the 
ungodly, and given into their evil ways ! He was 
very weak ; and some of his relations were with him ; 
which prevented my speaking so closely and particu- 
larly as I should otherwise have done. I had a little 
enlargement of heart in prayer ; and a good deal of 
comfort in comforting his poor afflicted wife, who has 
long been serving the Lord. Nothing is more plea- 
sant than such employment as this ; and it is always 
followed with the cheering influence of the Holy Ghost 
in the soul. 

My ride home was very different from my ride 
thither, in the frame of my mind. " He went about 
doing good" : — this is the pattern for every Christian. 
He is a counterfeit one, who does not strive to imitate 
it. The strength, the alacrity, the joy of the soul, is 
connected with this imitation. Religious people are 
heavy and moping, and cast down, principally because 
they are idle and selfish. The active, benevolent 
spirit of watching for opportunities to do essential 
service to our fellow-creatures, they often feel no more 
than the profane. What then avail notions and doc- 
trines, believed to no good purpose ? More espe- 
cially, I look upon it as the great sin and reproach of 
scholars, that they almost universally neglect their 
fellow-creatures. They are lamentably selfish : they 
make no use of their learning, and the influence it 



CERTAINTY OF THE SALVATION OF INFANTS. 299 

gives them, and their ability to teach, as they should 
do every day, in setting forth the great things of God^s 
Law, and pleading the glorious cause of God against 
the world and all the deluded votaries of pleasure. 

Were it lawful to wish, I should wish for strength 
to work and labour more ; for I am not yet able to 
preach in the week-days. Remember me to all friends. 
The Lord Jesus be with your spirit ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn- 



TO MRS. BRASIER 
(ON THE DEATH OF AN INFANT). 

dear MADAM, Yelling, March 27, 1781. 

Be pleased to thank my Cousin for his letter. — In 
reading of your loss, I felt for you both ; but more 
especially, as there appeared something of a doubt, 
whether you could say, with full assurance, the child 
is blessed. I have known several Christians troubled 
with doubts on this head; and few things have ap- 
peared to me more strange ; — for we may say, with 
truth, What could God have done, more than He has 
done, to prove His love for the infants of the human 
race ? They were always admitted to be members of 
His Church. A regard for them, he mentions as a 
reason why Nineveh, in which there were so many 
thousand infants, should not, as Jonah desired, be 
destroyed. The Saviour himself embraced and blessed 
them. Again : not a soul is destroyed for ever, but 
for wicked works ; they are hypocrites, they are unbe- 
lievers, they are impenitent to the last, after warnings, 
admonitions, and calls, &c, who perish. But what 
works have infants done, that are evil ? Some are 



300 



SALVATION OF INFANTS. 



ready to say, for Adam's offence they perish. The 
Scripture says, they die a natural death on that ac- 
count; expressly mentioning-, that they have not 
sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression* 
but never that they suffer the pains of Hell. Now, 
can such a thought be reconciled with the character 
of God, drawn by Himself ; as, " slow to anger, and 
of great kindness ; 33 as swearing', He hath no pleasure 
in the death of a sinner ? — It is His strange act to 
punish. Nothing but a contention against His go- 
vernment to the last, an impious denial of His Gospel, 
or a base, hypocritical assent to it, draws down His 
vengeance. Be assured, from such evidence, that our 
dear children, taken away almost as soon as we see 
them, are safe in the hands of their merciful Creator 
and Redeemer. 

My sister gives us a good account of your health* 
and Mr. Brasier's ; and of your little John. Be jea- 
lous of yourself, with regard to him. He will be 
much as you fashion him. Dread nothing so much 
as self-will. Do not tire and burden him with religion, 
of which he can bear but a very little : but ready sub- 
mission and obedience, and temperance in eating and 
drinking*, without which the body and mind must 
suffer, he can very well know and observe. 

Mrs. Venn and my family, who are in good health, 
desire their love. In three weeks I may probably 
just catch a sight of you ; but, as I can be only one 
Sunday from home, it will not be in my power to do 
more than call. My health is very much restored ; 
yet I am forced, I think, to pay dear for it. I am 
obliged to be on horseback every day, and cannot 
study and apply as my heart delights to do. I began 
to make trial of preaching four times one week ; but 



LETTER OF CONSOLATION. 



301 



I smarted for it for more than a fortnight ; so that I 
must be content with doing very little indeed in my 
old age. Oh that I may enjoy more meditation and 
prayer, and communion with God, till I am with 
Him, whose Name is most glorious in my eyes, and 
His service the highest honour ! 

My sister Patty desires her best respects to you 
both. I tell her she looks very old : but that word 
old she cannot yet endure : — yet to be old in the 
faith, is to be near, and on the very borders of, joy 
eternal. Oh for an overcoming faith, to possess the 
inheritance of the saints in light, by hope, before we 
are translated to it ! 

From yours very affectionately, 

H. Venn. 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Yelling, 1782. 

I waited a long time, for several reasons, before I 
would write. The shock you felt required time for 
recollection. Human advice, or exhortation, is of 
little value, when sorrow must have its vent. I 
wanted also to be informed of the full extent of your 
affliction : yet, though I deferred addressing you so 
long, I did not sin against Christian affection, so as to 
forget your fiery trial, or cease to join the many 
supplicants to God for your afflicted soul. You have 
been always in my mind, both when with my wife and 
with my family, as well as in secret prayer : and, in 
numberless ejaculations, your case has been spread 
before the God of hope, whose mercy and help go far 
beyond the utmost sufferings of His children. Once 
in particular, when my dear Mr. Berridge was a 



302 OUR TRIALS OF USE TO OTHERS. 

visiter, and bowing his knees with us, I indeed cried 
unto the Lord to give you strength and consolation 
in the furnace. 

I must add, what will certainly give you pleasure 
and cheer your soul, if it does not also surprise you. 
Your heart loves to do good ; and fears, as we ought, 
nothing more than being of little or no use in the 
world. You would say, ' Welcome sorrow, and every 
kind of tribulation, if by this means I may be of 
service to any soul V Be assured, from your distress, 
I have learnt more than I ever knew before. I knew 
before, how salutary and blessed to the sufferers them- 
selves all corrections are made, at last, by that heart of 
love which ordains them ; but I did not know how 
much good a Christian is doing to the Church, even 
at the time when her grief and anguish of spirit are 
the greatest. Yet then it is that her Christian friends 
are stirred up, as the Prophet was by Hezekiah's re- 
presentation of his extreme distress, to lift up their 
prayer with importunity. Then it is we feel more 
abundantly the sweet affection of soul — a sympathy 
most real ; so strongly described by the Apostle, when 
he says, " If one member suffer, all the members suffer 
with it." Then it is we are led more deeply to con- 
sider the use, the necessity, the certainty also of a 
happy end of all our trials, when those who are most 
dear to the Lord are so deeply exercised. How many 
of your friends have now seen you taking refuge in the 
sure mercies of David, and been edified by the filial 
fear of your heart, lest you should be found impatient 
and untrac table under the rod ! How many have 
been led to consider and believe the friendship of 
Jesus to be, of all things in the world, the most desi- 
rable, from the fruits you have enjoyed from it ! Thus, 



A PEACEFUL DEATH-BED. 



303 



as the faithful, when they suffered bonds and impri- 
sonment, and gained the crown of martyrdom, became 
much more the objects of notice to the Church — had 
the benefit of its prayers — quickened, convinced, con- 
verted, established many more than they would have 
done by their holy life ; so it is now, when a member 
of Christ is brought into great tribulation : our atten- 
tion is arrested and fixed ; our friendship is much 
interested; we receive, with peculiar advantage, in- 
struction from their sufferings ; we listen to the say- 
ings which drop from their lips ; and are animated 
afresh, with the hope of being gainers ourselves, when 
we shall, in our turn, be tried in the fire. 

The concluding months of the last year are memo- 
rable in my life. Not only was your Ladyship in 
great affliction, but several of my friends. I went from 
one house of mourning to another ; and was seldom 
two days at home for several weeks, but riding from 
one place to another. The Scripture was fulfilled : 
" The house of mourning is better than the house of 
feasting/ 5 I was eye-witness to our Lord's love, and 
unsearchable riches of grace. 

One intimate friend — called under Mr. Berridge 
twenty-two years since, but chiefly attending my mi- 
nistry, because so much nearer — died honourably 
indeed! He left his beloved wife, and four young 
children, without reluctance. "I have more than 
peace," said he ; "I have joy ! Sing with me a 
hymn ! 33 The hymn was this : — 

How happy is the Christian's fate ! 

His sins are all forgiven ; 
A cheering ray confirms his hope, 

And lifts his soul to heaven. 



304 



DEATH OF MRS. PAPWORTH. 



Though in the rugged path of life 

He heaves a mournful sigh, 
He trusts in his Redeemer's name, 

And finds deliverance nigh. 

If, to correct his wandering steps, 

He feels the chast'ning rod, 
The gentle stroke shall bring him back 

To his forgiving God. 

And when the welcome summons comes, 

To call his soul away, 
His soul in rapture shall ascend 

To everlasting day. 

Thus have I seen a Christian depart ! — 4 O world ! 
produce a good like this ! 5 we may boldly say ; and 
then it shall have our best affections. Till then, may 
we be only for the Lord ! 

Another most encouraging- reward I received two 
months since, in the comfortable and joyful departure 
of a farmer's wife — Mrs. Pap worth, of Els worth. 
When she first came to Yelling, four years ago, I 
observed her deeply attentive, as one who was hearing 
for her life. She came five or six times after ; but 
every relation being much against it, she could not 
come oftener. When she was upon her death-bed, 
the fear of death and sense of sin exceedingly distressed 
her ! on which account she desired her husband would 
ask me to visit her. I did so ; and pointed out the 
cause and cure of the fear of death, which had full 
possession of her mind. Then a short prayer was 
offered up : three declarations, from the mouth of the 
Lord, of His willingness and ability to save all who 
call upon Him, were repeated ; and then a short 



DEATH OF MRS. PAP WORTH. 



305 



prayer for the application of them, which (oh ! never 
enough to be admired condescension !) were made 
effectual. Her doubts were all gone ; her soul re- 
joiced ; she spoke with a new tongue ; she preached 
to her husband, her sister, her relations. She told 
them they were all wrong — that Jesus Christ was 
all. She said : " You see the change ! What do I 
feel ! I would not come off this bed for all the 
world ! Mr. Venn told me the Lord would put a new 
song into my mouth. He hath done it already ; and 
I shall sing it for ever." Then, laying her hand upon 
her breast, she repeatedly said, " Blessed Jesus ! 
Blessed Jesus ! Thou wilt receive me ! M Tears and 
astonishment in her husband followed. - The scoffers 
were struck dumb ; and her husband desired I would 
preach a funeral sermon on the occasion. The text 
was (Acts xiii. 38), "Be it known unto you, men 
and brethren, that through this man is preached unto 
you the forgiveness of sins ; " and the two following 
verses. Many came out of curiosity, which the Lord 
always overrules for good to some souls. How small 
are dignities, estates, crowns, to this privilege of seeing 
men brought to enjoy heaven on earth, and testifying 
it with their dying breath ! What manner of persons 
ought we to be, who partake of this wondrous love ? 
Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be 
afraid. Thy truth, Most Mighty Lord ! is on every 
side. How shall the courts above ring with the 
praise of the salvation of our God ! 

Your ladyship, I hear, is now released from your 
attendance on the Princess : but in the courts of the 
King of kings you will always stand, and wait and 
admire, and enjoy His beatific smile. Let me en- 
treat you not to think yourself at all obliged to answer 



306 HOPE FOR UNCONVERTED RELATIONS. 

this letter. I could wish you were in health to do 
it ; but it would give me pain you should write one 
line, so poorly as you are. The dear sisters will let 
me know, from time to time, how you are in health ; 
and I shall be assured the Lord, whom you serve, is 
always with you. 

The week after next, I purpose setting out for Bir- 
mingham, to bring home a daughter, who has been 
there eight months, to see what change of air would do ; 
and our good God has recovered her. I shall speak 
to thousands before I return, of the Name of Jesus. 
Oh, pray for me, that my testimony may be clear, 
bold, and effectual, through His own power ! 

Pray remember me to your two noble sisters. Hope 
to the end, for all your relations. It is an enemy only 
who opposes this hope. " The last shall be first." 
It is worth all the pain we can ever feel, to have it 
removed by a smile of our Saviour — and all tears 
wiped from our eyes, by His hand, whom angels 
adore. That will soon be your glory I To Him I 
earnestly commend your soul. 

Your ever indebted, 

H. Venn. 



TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, April 13, 1782. 

If it will be convenient, we purpose to bring my 
daughter Jane to your hospitable house, on the last 
day of this month — in the evening. We shall be 
ourselves at my brother Gambier's. We have been 
in alarm since I last wrote to you. My son was ill 
of a fever at College — as bad a place as a jail, to be 
sick in. Most happy was I to get him home, upon 



PRAYS FOR USEFULNESS IN SOCIAL INTERCOURSE. 307 

the first leave from his physician ! Under the anxiety 
I felt for him, when ill, he told me I ought to have 
no will of my own — he was perfectly resigned to live 
or die ; for he had given himself up to the Lord, to 
be His for ever ; either life or death, therefore, was 
equally welcome to him. He stayed at home a fort- 
night : and the bark being blessed, and no relapse, 
on Monday he returned to College. It was a great 
comfort to me to see the respect paid to him, when 
ill, by the Master, Fellows, and all his companions 
in College. A good report from them that are 
without, is one of the requisites in a candidate for the 
ministry. 

We are now praying, that the visit we are soon to 
make to our kind friends and relations may be profi- 
table to our souls, like the visit of Mary the Mother 
of our Lord to her Cousin Elizabeth — that the Incar- 
nate Saviour may be the chief subject of our discourse 
— that we may encourage and warm each other's 
hearts, to live less to ourselves, and more to Him who 
died for us and rose again ; and be speaking so one to 
another, that even the Lord Himself may hearken and 
hear us, His elect children, talk with a new tongue, 
and edify each other. Parents have peculiar delight 
in viewing the accomplishments of their sons and 
daughters, in listening to their excellent and wise 
observations, and in seeing the expense of their edu- 
cation well repaid in their improvement : our Heavenly 
Father represents Himself no less pleased with the 
tongue of the wise, by which knowledge is spread ; 
and by the lips of the righteous, by which many souls 
are fed. I particularly am concerned, in gratitude, to 
pray that those who have so undeserved a love for 
me, and give so many proofs of it, may reap some 
x 2 



303 * 



A PRESENT OF BOOKS. 



spiritual advantage from my ministry. My time must 
be short here. I am feeling* the decay of my strength, 
so that I cannot labour as I once did, and speak with 
much less force. A Christian would have his lot as 
the Lord is pleased to appoint it. It is right and fit 
the children should suffer in some measure, as their 
Saviour. How did He feel bodily weakness and pain, 
before He tasted death ! May we ever sing, 
" Ours the cross, the grave, the skies," &c. ! 
From your affectionate friend and pastor in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS RILAND. 
MY DEAR Miss RILAND, Yelling, Nov. 14, 1782. 

Accept my congratulations on your return to your 
dear parents from school, after so good an improve- 
ment of the time you spent there. Hence we are 
naturally led, with pleasure, to conclude your atten- 
tion, to all that is peculiarly becoming and excellent 
in your early years, will increase. 

You have received from the Blessed God, an active 
mind ; and reading, I am assured, is an entertain- 
ment to you. I beg, therefore, your acceptance, as a 
keepsake, of a very celebrated work, entitled, " Nature 
Displayed." This author will bring you acquainted 
with a thousand wonders, which surround us on every 
side. He will prove to demonstration the adorable 
power, wisdom, and goodness of our God, in the pre- 
serving, framing, and providing for all animals ; and 
point out the way of beholding God, with great de- 
light, in every thing which contributes to our safety, 
health, and comfort. In reading this author, you 
cannot help admiring the strength of his piety : and 
what we admire, we soon, in a measure, contract. 



EXCELLENCE OF THE BIBLE. 



309 



" Nature Displayed " was written by a French divine. 

The Meditations and Contemplations which I send 
you are the fruit of Mr. Hervey's pen — the most 
extraordinary man I ever saw in my life ! — as much 
beyond most of the excellent, as the swan, for white- 
ness and a stately figure, is beyond the common fowl. 
These thoughts deserve your most serious regard. 
You may look upon them as you would upon Aaron's 
rod, by which such wonders were wrought : for these 
thoughts have been made the means of giving sight 
to the blind — life to souls dead in trespasses and sin; 
and winning the young, the gay, the rich, to see 
greater charms in a Crucified Saviour, as your own 
dear parents do, than in all that glitters and dazzles 
vain minds, How happy shall I be to hear Miss Ro- 
land say, " How tender, affecting, and irresistible, are 
the pleadings of Mr. Hervey, for his adored Im- 
manuel V 3 

The Moral Lessons which I have sent you are 
much admired. They are written by a physician, still 
living at St. Alban's. His name is Cotton. You will 
find many sensible lines, and beautiful representations 
of virtue and benevolent tempers, in his work: yet 
there is a lamentable defect! — his virtue and bene- 
volence are of the Heathen stamp, they have no rela- 
tion to our God and Saviour. 

You will receive with these, also, our famous En- 
glish Dictionary. 

Such books as these are entertaining, and profitable 
in qualifying us for conversation with each other ; 
and afford a very pleasing amusement. There is one 
book already in your study, which an old writer 
addresses as — " Thrice blessed volume ! Thou art 
the great deposit, once delivered to the saints ! Thou 



310 



EDUCATION FOR HEAVEN. 



art the mean by which J esus Christ keeps intercourse 
with His Bride on earth ! Thou art the Charter of 
all the Church's mercies, and of our hope through 
eternity ! " — You will immediately say, " This is my 
Bible. 33 It is! Glory be to God for this Book! 
Yet it is full of dark sayings ; consequently, dull, and 
even irksome to read : — this must be allowed. But 
there is a Divine Teacher, given to all, who, before 
they read this Book from heaven, ask Him of God. — - 
May you every day desire this Teacher! and say, 
" Open Thou mine eyes, that I may see the wonders 
of Thy Law ! 33 — So I began. So your honoured 
father and mother began, many years ago ; and the 
Book that was dark, and of little use, is now our 
delight, sweeter than the honey-comb — more than all 
manner of riches. You will find the same success, 
by reading, with prayer, a small portion of the blessed 
word of God : and when you once understand and 
believe it, you will have an evidence, in your own 
mind, that you are a daughter of the Lord God 
Almighty, an heir of glory, in a state of education 
for the happiness of heaven. And when the appointed 
time comes, that your dear parents must leave you, 
to go to their God whom they have loved and served, 
you will still remain most nearly related to them in 
Christ, and live with them for ever in His presence. 

That this may be your portion, is the earnest prayer 
of your sincere friend and godfather I 

H. Venn. 



( 311 ) 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



SECTION IV. 

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE PERIOD OF HIS SON*S ORDI- 
NATION, TO THE YEAR 1788. 



On the 22d of September 1782, Mr. John Venn was ordained 
Deacon, by the Bishop of Lincoln, on the title of his father's 
curacy. 

To this event the father had been looking forward, for 
many years, with ardent hope and ceaseless prayer. But 
the son, during the same interval, was frequently suffering 
distress, under a deep sense of his own unworthiness for the 
sacred office; and had at one time even abandoned the 
thought of undertaking it. It is no uncommon circum- 
stance for young men of religious sensibility to suffer in the 
same manner. They more particularly, who have been 
habituated to the contemplation of a high standard of mini- 
sterial excellence, are apt to despair at the contrast sug- 
gested by their own inferior pretensions. Yet that very 
humility, which at first oppresses them with fear, may be 
the germ of future eminence in piety and usefulness. The 
case before us was an instance of this. Many of my readers 
may therefore be interested, and some may be comforted, 
by the introduction of a letter written by Mr. John Venn to 
his father two years before he was of age to take orders, in 
which the misgivings of a tender conscience and self-diffident 
spirit are afFectingly exhibited. The letter was sent to Mr, 



312 



HIS SON HESITATES 



Venn whilst he was paying the visit to Huddersfield which 
has been already mentioned. 

The father's answer is also added. 



FROM MR. JOHN VENN. 

MY VERY DEAR FATHER, Yelling, Oct. 18, 1780. 

The natural reservedness of my temper, and the 
fear I had of giving* you pain in your bad state of 
health, prevented me from opening my whole mind 
to you at Yelling* ; especially as the subject was of 
the last importance, and required all the time and 
attention I was able to bestow upon it. But, since 
you have always treated me with a peculiar and 
undeserved tenderness ; since I know how much you 
are interested in whatever concerns me, far above the 
common feelings of a parent; and since you have 
kindly desired me to look upon you rather in the light 
of a friend than a father; I think it is my duty, 
without reserve, to disclose to you the whole state of 
my mind ; — which I now do, as in the presence of 
Almighty God, divesting myself, as much as lies in 
my power, of all reserve, of all disguise, and of all 
undue bias of the mind whatever. 

For some time past, but especially since February 
last, has my own unworthiness for the blessed office 
of the ministry appeared in a forcible and convincing 
view. — My poor abilities, and small share of faith and 
grace, may, perhaps, through the infinite clemency of 
God, enable me to glorify Him in the humble walk of 
a private Christian ; but the weighty and important 
charge of the souls of others is what I dare not pre- 
sume to undertake. I speak as in the presence of 



TO ENTER THE MINISTRY. 



313 



Almighty God, who sees the depths of my heart, and 
who will be my Judge hereafter. 

The office of the ministry I esteem as far more 
honourable than any employment relating to temporal 
concerns can be ; but, at the same time, the danger is 
proportionably great, and the importance of it tremen- 
dous. Ever since I had a thought of it, my prayer to 
God has been, that he would take the matter into His 
hands. I begged, for His Name's sake, that if He, 
who alone could see into futurity, and who alone 
knows the temper and disposition of men, judged me 
improper for the work, I might never be suffered to 
profane it. I begged, that if this reluctance was from 
Him, He would increase and confirm it : but should 
it be a temptation, as you seemed to judge, or should 
it proceed from the deceitfulness of the heart, I 
entreated, for the glory of God, and the sake of the 
prayers of many of His saints, that it might never be 
suffered to prevail. I can call God to witness, that, 
as far as human imperfection allows, I have been sin- 
cere, and faithfully waited on God, to know His 
will ; — and surely, He would never suffer so many 
prayers to be in vain, and in such an important 
matter too, who hath so repeatedly said, ' Ask, and ye 
shall have 3 ? 

Much, for seven months, have I suffered, bewildered 
in my mind with suspense, and harassed with the 
prospect of surrounding distress ; but all that I have 
felt, or thought, tends only to confirm me in the opi- 
nion of my own insufficiency. At present, indeed, I 
enjoy a calm in my mind ; which, I trust, is the 
effect of prayer, and a resignation to God, by reflecting 
that the matter is in His hands : but still I see more 
fully and more strongly than ever my own incapacity. 



314 



HIS SON HESITATES 



I well know I am not to look to myself, but to God, 
for assistance. I well know that God is merciful to 
our errors ; but I dare not therefore presume upon 
that mercy, in matters where I am before warned by 
a foresight of these errors ; especially since the weak- 
ness of a minister, unlike that of other individuals, 
has effects dreadfully general. Your partiality and 
tenderness for me may cover a multitude of faults, 
which, to the eye of an all-just God, appear in their 
proper colours ; but I see my temper and disposition 
such, and my infirmities and weakness so great, that, 
as I would answer it at the bar of the judgment-seat 
of Christ, I cannot undertake this holy employment. 
Next to the awful concerns of eternal things, nothing 
could have given me more joy than the fulfilment of 
that pleasure which you had always promised yourself, 
in seeing me a fellow-labourer in the ministry. The 
prospect of your disappointment has, indeed, filled me 
with a sorrow I cannot express ; and, were it not a 
matter which will affect my soul far beyond the narrow 
bounds of time, I would be content to suffer misery 
in this world, that you might be made happy. But 
filial affection ought not to sway in matters of con- 
science ; and I am persuaded you would suffer more 
from seeing me discharge improperly that sacred 
office, than, from a due sense of my own unfitness, 
decline it. 

It is true, I see much distress in every line of life. 
I see misery, and grief, and bitterness, unavoidable, 
and such as makes my soul shrink back with horror ; 
but I dare not bestow a thought upon that, as an in- 
ducement to comply with what my conscience dis- 
allows. My great support is, that I can, in the most 
solemn manner, appeal to God, the searcher of my 



TO ENTER THE MINISTRY. 



315 



heart, that I have not, knowingly, had any sinister 
end in view — that I have laid the whole matter upon 
God, sincerely begging the guidance of His Spirit, 
and to do His will — that I have reason to believe the 
present determination to be His will — and that my 
conscience has not aught to accuse me of, in this 
affair : and then, if it please God that I must endure 
much distress and sorrow through the rest of my 
life — He knows best, and is merciful — His will be 
done ! 

You, my dear father, have prayed for me incessant- 
ly, from the hour of my birth. You now see a ne- 
cessity, stronger than ever, of the most fervent prayers 
in my behalf : and may God give you an abundant 
spirit of prayer suited to the occasion ! — I have not an 
unfeeling heart : and I anticipate with exquisite keen- 
ness the shock you must feel from this declaration. 
Judge, then, the distress of mind I have long endured. 
— Once more I beg you to pray for me earnestly ! 
I am your ever dutiful son, 

John Venn. 

P.S. I have had this letter some time by me ; but it 
required much time for consideration. I shall stay at 
Yelling till I hear from you, in answer. 

TO MR. JOHN VENN. 

MY DEAR SON, Huddersfield, 4th Nov. 1780. 

\ our letter has never been out of my mind since I 
received it ; and after much attention to its contents, 
I, upon the whole, cannot but be thankful — not for 
your trouble and smart, but for many other reasons. 

Those whom God peculiarly loves, to them He 



316 REPLY TO HIS SON'S SCRUPLES 

discovers their guilt and vileness — their miserable, 
depraved, and helpless condition : consequently they 
must feel their own insufficiency, and, at first, often 
in a very afflicting degree. Would to God every 
young man intended for the ministry were penetrated, 
as you are, with abiding convictions of his own weak- 
ness and ignorance, and manifold corruptions, so as 
to tremble at the thought of being employed in the 
very high and holy office of a Preacher of Christ, and 
a Pastor to his sheep ! Yet when, in peculiar mercy, 
this just estimate of ourselves, and of the ministry, is 
given, are we to ascribe it to nature or to Grace ? — 
to Satan or God ? — to pride or humility ? — as a 
necessary qualification to enter into the office, or a 
prohibition ? It is granted, that all you allege on 
this head is true : but if of force in your case, it holds 
equally against every one who would enter into the 
office, or is already in it ; because every one is 
insufficient, is extremely vile, offends in many things, 
and can never say, ' There is nothing wrong to be 
seen in me/ 

But, whilst you look upon yourself in the true 
light, as a miserable sinner, you forget the very 
merciful intention of the Redeemer, in which He 
secures to Himself the glory. It is, we are taught, 
that the excellence of the power may be seen to be 
of God, that such worms of the earth are entrusted 
with the dispensation of the truth in Christ. 

You have also lost sight of the compassion and 
faithfulness of the Redeemer ; and continuing to do 
so, you can never have strength or comfort in any 
employment. You must sink in despondency, whilst 
you have any regard to yourself, and wait to see your 
abilities or faith sufficient. Now this is your case, 



AT ENTERING THE MINISTRY. 



317 



though by yourself unperceived : for you write thus : 
— " My poor abilities, and small share of faith and 
grace may, perhaps, through the infinite clemency of 
God, enable me to glorify Him in the humbler walk 
of a private Christian ; but the weighty and important 
charge of the souls of others is what I dare not pre- 
sume to undertake/ 3 Here, it is plain to me, you 
have some trust in those abilities and that faith ; and 
were both greater, you might then, without presum- 
ption, undertake to preach and teach Christ : — on the 
contrary, no sort of confidence is to be placed in any 
thing we have ; but all, in the power, grace, and faith- 
fulness of the Lord, to them who call on His Name. 

You also, unperceived to yourself, limit the Holy 
One of Israel ; — for you say : "I begged, that if this 
reluctance was from God, He would increase and con- 
firm it ; but should it be a temptation, as you seemed 
to judge, I entreated it might never be suffered to 
prevail. And surely, He w r ould never suffer so many 
prayers to be in vain, and in such an important matter 
too, who hath so repeatedly said, 4 Ask, and ye shall 
have/ 33 

But hath God anywhere promised to grant any of 
our requests in that way and manner w r e may choose 
to prescribe ? Certainly He will not ; when the mode 
we fix on would lessen our dependence on His own 
blessed word, were our request granted : for His word 
alone is given to be our director in matters of duty. 
But you do not ask the Lord, my dear son, to direct 
you into what is duty, by His own word, but by some 
impression made on your mind. Supposing', now, your 
great reluctance to the ministry, on account of your 
great insufficiency, w ere removed ; then you would be 
well_ satisfied God called you to it. But how very 



318 



REPLY TO KIS SON'S SCRUPLES 



fallacious is this, and very wrong ! For do not the best 
find very great reluctance against doing what is 
plainly required of them ? and are they from hence to 
conclude they must not act till the reluctance is taken 
away ? The word of God loudly condemns this 
aversion to a good work (which, it tells us, the office 
of a Bishop is). His word calls upon every man to 
be filled with love to God, and ardent zeal for His 
glory and the salvation of sinners. This is equally and 
indispensably necessary in every private Christian, and 
in every minister : only, ministers are employed in a 
public manner to do this, which private Christians are 
not. 

But, besides this, Providence, in a very remarkable 
manner, has done every thing to prove you are destined 
to be a preacher of Christ, by His own will ; — for did 
not God give me, and your dear mother (now a saint 
in heaven), desires, the hour you were born, to set you 
apart to His service, with never-ceasing prayer ? Has 
He not ordered your education for that end ; and in- 
clined you to make choice of it, six years since ? Has 
He not, in the judgment of all, endued you with very 
sufficient abilities ; and even given you grace to live 
soberly, righteously, and godly, in the midst of the 
most daring impiety and open lewdness ? Has He not 
even made you useful, young as you are, to your 
serious acquaintance ? Has He not brought you into 
such circumstances, that you can follow no other pro- 
fession, nor engage in trade, nor surely join the navy 
or army ? Has He not evidently thus directed your 
circumstances, which all call upon you, as a matter of 
bounden duty, to be what you have been destined and 
brought up for ? 

You are afraid, lest, through you, one soul should 



AT ENTERING THE MINISTRY. 



319 



perish. But do you think the salvation of immortal 
souls is left to such a hazard ? or that a young man, 
who has such a fear upon his mind, is ever likely, by 
his principles or practice, to be a stumbling-block of 
iniquity in the way of any ? Will not this fear 
stimulate and keep the soul attentive to duty ? The 
vicious and proud and idle are charged with the blood 
of souls — not those who have any knowledge of their 
worth, and love for them. 

Further ; supposing (which the good Lord forbid 
should be the case !) you do not enter the ministry ; 
have you no fear of the much greater snares and temp- 
tations to which you must be exposed in every other 
way of life ? For there is no situation so advantageous 
to a man, who desires to please God, as the ministry ; 
because here all his business coincides with his Chris- 
tian calling : in any other situation, it has a strong 
tendency to make and keep him earthly. Here he is 
regarded as a witness for the Truth, and a maintainer 
of God's cause. It is expected he should rebuke vice, 
and speak with wisdom and piety. His very profession 
keeps him out of the company of ungodly men, and 
connects him with the saints of God, who will help 
him by their prayers and by their conversation. — Much 
cause, indeed, have you to fear, should you reject the 
evident design of Providence in your whole education 
— lest, like Jonah, you run away from the command- 
ment of God, desponding of success, without cause ; 
or looking upon Him as an austere man, and therefore 
desire to be excused serving at His altar ! 

When you have followed your present gloomy and 
unreasonable resolution, will you be able to clear 
yourself from such a heavy charge as follows ? — You 
were, in the judgment of men wiser and older than 



320 



REPLY TO HIS SON'S SCRUPLES 



yourself, well qualified for the work — you were made 
deeply sensible of its vast importance, the necessary 
preparation to discharge it aright, and to make you 
cry for help, day and night — you knew Christ the Way, 
and might have called many to Him for their salvation 
— you saw sinners dying around you, for want of 
faithful preachers ; and had even resolution enough to 
plunge yourself into the most perplexing circumstances, 
to the unspeakable distress of your whole family, sooner 
than do what you suppose to be wrong ; — yet, after all 
this evidence of God's designation of you to, and 
fitness for, the work, you would refuse, merely be- 
cause you thought you never should have grace 
given you sufficient to discharge the pastoral office ! 
How can you reconcile this with your duty ? What 
is presumption, if such a conduct is not ? With 
what reason can you expect the blessing of God, 
when acting so directly opposite to the manifestation 
of His will concerning you, in His own providential 
appointment ? 

" Much, for seven months," you say, " have I suf- 
fered, bewildered in my mind with suspense, and 
harassed with the prospect of surrounding distress ; 
but all that I have felt, or thought, tends only to 
confirm me in the opinion of my own insufficiency. " 
— Upon this I remark, that would you open your 
mind more to those who are certainly able to direct 
you, and had you written to Mr. Berridge, or Mr. 
Robinson, or myself, you would have used the proper 
means, and probably it might have pleased God to 
have blessed them for your relief : for, as too much 
reservedness is contrary to the social and affectionate 
spirit so pleasing to our Maker, it is no wonder it 
should always bring with it its own punishment ; 



AT ENTERING THE MINISTRY. 



321 



neither is it any wonder that you, raising, much 
higher than the Scripture does, the sanctity and the 
abilities necessary for a due discharge of the pastoral 
office, should be more and more convinced you are 
not sufficient. Young men are naturally prone to 
carry their ideas, in every thing they are engaged in, 
beyond the truth. But, granting you do not, in this 
matter — all you have thought and felt is no more than 
both Scripture and the history of God's most eminent 
and faithful ministers teach us they have known. 
How very backward were Moses and Gideon ! How 
did Jeremiah see his own insufficiency, when he 
cried out, "I am a child! I cannot speak!" How 
did he, even after years spent in the office of a Pro- 
phet, express his reluctance, to our great surprise : 
" Thou hast deceived me ; and I was deceived i. e. 
I had never been a Prophet, hadst Thou not hid from 
me what I was to go through, in being one. I 
scarcely know one who has been remarkably successful 
in winning souls, and in a holy life, but he has felt 
what St. Paul did — weakness, and fear, and much 
trembling, in view of the difficulties and dangers. 
But be not afraid ! you are not to go the warfare at 
your own charges. The Great Head of the Church 
is to be your Counsellor. He is to hold you, as a 
star, in His right hand. Though not sufficient of 
yourself to think a good thought of yourself, your 
sufficiency is to be of God. 

But this qualification for the ministry, more ne- 
cessary almost than any other — I mean, a deep sense of 
your own insufficiency — necessary to make you speak 
with consciousness of your poverty, ignorance, &c. — 
necessary to teach you how to speak a word to the 
weary and tempted soul — necessary to make you take 

Y 



322 REPLY TO HIS SON ? S SCRUPLES 

pains, and give yourself wholly to these things, that 
your profiting may appear — this very blessed quali- 
fication you turn against yourself, contrary to the 
Divine intention in it. Faith in Christ is always, at 
first, a venture, in opposition to doubts and fears : — 
but who ever ventured, and was disappointed ? When 
the Lord is more fully revealed to your soul, you will 
see and find in Him more than all you can need, for 
acceptance, strength, comfort, and usefulness. And 
what delight will you then experience, in holding Him 
forth, to poor guilty sinners, as all their salvation and 
yours — all their desire and yours. 

You write: "I am persuaded you would suffer 
more from seeing me discharge improperly that sacred 
office, than, from a due sense of my own unfitness, 
decline it/ 3 Here again, your gloomy thoughts re- 
present the matter to your mind in the falsest colours. 
Do you apprehend I should (if life be spared so long) 
make no allowance for youth ? Do you imagine I 
should expect more from you than I see in all 
serious young men who have a single eye to the glory 
of God ? or that young men are to be compared with 
pastors well improved by years in the service of 
Christ ? — I am apprehensive you may compare your- 
self with such ; and, concluding you are very short 
of them indeed, therefore decline the office; or, be- 
cause you may suppose so much is expected from 
you, pride, without your discovering it, may work 
much against your soul, and create much reluctance 
in you to come forth. What must I think, when 
your intimates, Wilson, Garwood, Jowett, &c, have 
so good a testimony of their attention to the ministry, 
and do so well, that you, no less serious and exem- 
plary than they, should turn your back upon the 



AT ENTERING THE MINISTRY. 



323 



blessed employment ? Had I, or your dear mother 
now in glory, any other motive to have you a minister 
than the very best ? Indebted, beyond expression, to 
His grace and love, we longed to have them pub- 
lished abroad ; and for that only purpose, and the 
salvation of your own soul, did we wish it might 
please God to give you abilities and disposition of 
heart, such as He has evidently bestowed. 

I have written thus, to shew you how much I pon- 
der upon your present condition, so distressful ! I 
have nothing more to add, but a few requests, which 
I do most earnestly beg you would grant me. The 
first is, to think of nothing so much, next to your walk 
before God, as the matters which you are to be busied 
about, till you take your degree. 2dly, That you 
would not reason with yourself : — only pray that you 
may not do any thing rashly. 3dly, That, as a very 
young and inexperienced man, you would remember 
it is a plain duty to pay a due regard to the Elders 
of the Church ; and to persuade yourself you can never 
be so proper a judge in your own case as very excel- 
lent and godly, and wise and aged men in the ministry 
can be for you. Lastly, Remember, though you are 
at present distressed and full of unbelieving fears, 
when the Lord comes to you, as I have no doubt He 
will, then darkness will become light before you, and 
crooked things straight, and rough places plain. To 
His tender mercies and guidance I fervently commend 
you, and remain your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



The tone of this letter may seem to want, in some degree, 
the usual tenderness which characterizes Mr. Venn's parental 
letters. The fact was, that he regarded his son's state of mind 
Y 2 



324 



EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 



as too much influenced by a morbid sensibility ; which it was 
necessary to counteract, by the exercise of parental firmness 
and authority. 

The considerations urged in this letter, and in many subse- 
quent conversations, tended gradually to remove the fears and 
scruples of his son ; so that at length he was enabled to devote 
himself to the service of the sanctuary, with a cheerful confi- 
dence in the gracious acceptance of his labours by the Great 
Head of the Church. I need not remind my readers how 
abundantly those labours were afterwards owned and blessed, 
in the very important sphere in which he was placed. 

In the letters written about this time, I find the first men- 
tion of the much-honoured name of Charles Simeon. His 
entrance into holy orders preceded, by a few months, that of 
Mr. John Venn. 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Oct. 9, 1782. 

Your goodness, in inquiring 1 so affectionately about 
us all, has spirited me up immediately to take my pen. 
Often have I remembered you; and been thankful for 
your mercies, in dear Mrs. Stillingfleet's health, and in 
your own and son's health. He is a great trust com- 
mitted to you both; but with joy I can believe his 
parents will not be blinded with fondness, and cruel 
enough to cherish in him the plague of a fallen spirit 
— self-will. I have no doubt he will be educated un- 
der a mild, steady authority. Happy lot for the child ! 
Happy for the parents ! Much have I seen to lament, 
in many who make a profession ! Their children are 
lawless, or miserable under an iron rod. My poor 
pains and constant attention to this matter, how graci- 
ously hath the Lord rewarded ! My children are now 



ORDINATION OF HIS SON. 



325 



my companions and friends, obedient, affectionate, and, 
amongst earthly things, my chiefest treasures; — if 
they are to be accounted amongst earthly things, who 
are immortal spirits, and joined in fellowship with the 
Church, and with whom I hope to spend an eternity 
in the presence of Immanuel. Till that period, we 
must be companions in patience and in sorrows ; one 
or other of us frequently sick, or in pain, or taking 
leave, and parting from each other. 

On the 22d of last month, my son was ordained ; 
and the Sunday before last preached his first sermon 
to my people, on the feast-day. His text was, " Who 
is able to save unto the uttermost, &c." It was ex- 
traordinary, for a young man's first attempt — I will 
not call it Essay ; — for it was very Scriptural, and full 
of Christ. He stayed one week : and now, by the ad- 
vice of our Hippocrates (Dr. Rait), is gone to visit 
his relations and friends in town. And if he does not 
recover his health, he is to try Yorkshire air ; — and the 
very idea of being with you makes him smile. 

He has had much to try him. Nothing could have 
been a greater disappointment to him than not being 
chosen Fellow of his College ; after the Master made 
an apology for not choosing him last year, even before 
a senior; and after two of the Fellows told me he was 
a sure man. Yet, from circumstances with which my 
son was only indirectly connected, his prospect of suc- 
cess was reversed ; and whether he will now ever be 
chosen, is very doubtful. By this trial, he is taught 
to know more of the heart of those who are in trouble ; 
and to speak to them, not by hearsay, and awkwardly, 
as I did for some years. 

My small parish is very much altered for the worse, 
within these few years. Three farmers, in whose 



326 MR. SIMEON ! HIS GREAT ZEAL. 

families there were some hopeful hearers, are removed; 
and a fourth is upon the point of removing*. They 
have been succeeded by men of a very profane spirit : 
scarcely will they ever come to church. To this add 
the departure of a few, in the faith of Christ, I trust. 
I preach therefore, now, to a handful of people indeed ! 
However, I have cause to bless and adore God, that I 
can and do cry unto Him, to awake, and glorify His 
word; and wait in hope He will, before it is long, 
come down and work mightily, for His own Name's 
sake. Much I am encouraged to do so, by an account 
I have lately had, from good hands, of the wonderful 
success Mr. Maddock has had in his ministry at Crea- 
ton, a village in Northamptonshire. Hundreds, I am 
told, in his neighbourhood, now love the Lord Jesus 
in sincerity. Whilst I continue, therefore, to plead His 
own promise, and feel compassion and bowels of mer- 
cies for my poor people ready to perish* I have hope. 

Miss Hervey pleased me much with the account of 
your congregation. Glory be to God ! If you find 
the building or repairing a house a sad damp upon 
your soul, it ought to teach us how to pity the multi- 
tude who labour or trade for their bread. I am sadly 
defective in that blessed temper ! 

On Trinity Sunday was ordained Mr. Simeon, 
Fellow of King's College. Before that day, he never 
was in company with an earnest Christian. Soon 
after, he was visited by Mr. H. Jowett, and my son, and 
two or three more. In less than seventeen Sundays, 
by preaching for Mr. Atkinson, in a church at Cam- 
bridge, he filled it with hearers — a thing unknown 
there for near a century. He has been over to see me 
six times within the last three months : he is calcu- 
lated for great usefulness, and is full of faith and love. 



BUT FEW ARE SAVED. 



327 



My soul is always the better for his visits. Oh, to 
flame, as he does, with zeal, and yet be beautiful with 
meekness ! The day he was a substitute for Mr. 
Atkinson, he began to visit the parishioners from 
house to house. Full of philanthropy was his address : 
— " I am come to inquire after your welfare. Are you 
happy ?" His evident regard for their good disarmed 
them of their bitterness ; and it is amazing what suc- 
cess he has met with! Let us hear soon from you, 
and some good news of souls converted from darkness 
to light, in dear Yorkshire. A letter from Hotham is 
a joyful sound to all my family. When you see your 
brother, pray remember me to him. Love to Mrs. 
Stillingfleet, yourself, and son, from all here. 

Yours, &c. 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, 24th Dec. 1782. 

I mourn at the relation you send me of your own 
village : yet be not discouraged. Many years since, I 
was much struck with that passage of St. Paul, " If, 
by any means, I may save some. 33 * Some, 3 said I to 
myself ; 6 why not all ? why not many ? 3 Long expe- 
rience now has taught me, that a few only do, in fact, 
believe to the saving of their souls ; even where the 
Gospel is faithfully delivered by a man of God, whose 
life and example add weight to all he teaches. How 
lamentable this view of the Church visible ! Still, to 
be in any measure a mourner, and an earnest suppli- 
cant for those who are destroying themselves — to be 
grieved for the injurious treatment our God and 
Saviour every day receives from His reasonable crea- 
tures, who are baptized into His Church — affords a 



328 ARMINIAN AND CALVINISTIC DISPUTES. 

solid satisfaction. In this temper, we are conformable 
to the Prophets, Apostles, and the Son of God. The 
world rejoiced, and were gay and thoughtless, in all 
their provocations and dangers ; but these retired, and 
wept in secret for their pride and their delusion. I 
am apt to think, that till we are deeply affected for the 
multitude who are profane, or evidently dissemble 
with God, we shall never be able to look with desire 
for our dismission. When Elijah wished to die, it 
was from a survey of the wide-spreading idolatry in 
the children of Judah. 

Six weeks ago, an unexpected opening at St. Neofs 
tempted me to undertake, with the help of my son, 
the supply of that church ; from whence the curate had 
been suddenly called away. The offer, on my part, 
of doing it gratis, was, to my surprise, readily ac- 
cepted; but so long has the church been deserted, and 
all worship of God given up, that even curiosity will 
not bring them to hear ; and, in a morning, not one 
hundred, out of sixteen hundred, are to be seen at 
church ! In less than an age, things proceeding in the 
present train, our churches will be like those now at 
Jamaica. A lady, who was for some time there, as- 
sured a friend of mine, that they were not used in the 
country. The doors were opened, and the bells rung; 
but neither the people nor priest attended. So doth 
atheism advance with horrid strides ! 

My son's health is still far from established. You 
are very kind and partial to him. I learn from him, 
with grief, that there is a spirit of debate got up 
amongst the ministers in the West Riding, about the 
Arminian and Calvinistic doctrines. The enemy cer- 
tainly doth thus gain much advantage ; and no good 
can debate ever produce. Living and working for 



MR. BERRIDGE. 



329 



God, and to save souls, is the only way of knowing 
more and more of His truth and His salvation. 

W came last month to College, and immedi- 
ately began disputing. My son told him how greatly 
he had longed to see him, that he might receive a 
blessing from his company : " But you," said he, 
" entirely disappoint me : and I will ask you only one 
question : Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ more, 
and pray more, and feel more life and comfort in your 
own soul, since you have begun to dispute about these 
points ?" To this he made no reply. 

Last Wednesday, Mr. Berridge preached to my peo- 
ple. How gladly could I have wished for you ! Mr. 
Waltham came over from Royston, where he is doing 
very well. Mr. Berridge preached from Ps. lxii. 1 — 3. 
Just such a Calvinist as he is, I wish all ministers of 
Christ to be. I think his voice grows weaker. He is 
sixty-eight in February — a great age for one who has 
laboured so much! Dr. Conyers, Mr. Madan, Mr. 
Newton, and myself, are all fifty- eight in March. How 
soon shall we be dismissed from our work ! Oh ' to 
be found even the least and last amongst the pastors 
after his own heart ! The Lord grant us to meet each 
other in that number ! 

From your ever affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 
MY DEAR NEPHEW, Yelling, Jan. 7, 1783. 

I heartily return thanks to the Giver of all our 
earthly and our heavenly comforts, for the preservation 
of your beloved Charlotte, who has, in all appearance, 
been so near her departure. You will now receive 
her as given back to you and your children, doubly 



330 



NEW-YEAR CONGRATULATIONS. 



endeared by her apprehended loss. Now you have 
had a fresh instance brought home of the absolute 
uncertainty in which we stand respecting our condition, 
when it is pleasing and prosperous — how suddenly the 
stormy wind ariseth, which may sweep away all in 
this world which is dearest to us ! 

Accept our salutations — for we all join in them — to 
you and our niece. May this year prove a happy 
year ! May you grow, both of you, very rich indeed 
— much more so than in any preceding year — rich in 
durable riches and righteousness, in communion with 
God, in the high pleasures of a spiritual mind, in the 
abounding hope that all things are yours, whether life 
or death, things present or things to come ! 

The new year has begun in a manner very afflicting 

to me. Mr. and Mrs. so suddenly involved 

in distress. My dear friend Mrs. Kershaw at the point 
of death. Oh, what troubles and adversities, my dear 
nephew, are the lot of man ! How much need is there 
that we prepare for what may so soon be our burden ! 

You will be pleased to hear your cousin, my son, 
has gained the favour of all the inhabitants of St. 
Neot's. His father is not to be named with him ! I 
thought my voice, old as I am, was not worse than 
his ; but they give that also to him. 

Pray let us hear how Charlotte recovers ; and 

the little tender branch, how it thrives. I wished for 
your presence with us on New- Year's day. Princes 
have no such fare to feast on ! Mr. Robinson, from 
Leicester, was in the pulpit in the evening ; and in a 
manner masterly, solemn, and affectionate, to the 
last degree, he exhorted young men and maidens, old 
men and children, believers and unbelievers, to awake 
out of sleep ; for it was high time ! Many attended, 



PREACHING AT ST. NEOT's. 



331 



and great was the seriousness of one and all. Mr. 
Simeon, and Mr. Farish, from Cambridge, were here ; 
and we all set out for Everton the next morning. 
The venerable father, Mr. Berridge, received us, 
though unlooked for, with open arms ; and his prayer, 
and Mr. Robinson's, were again most edifying and 
animating. We parted in fervent love, looking up- 
ward and forward, till we shall meet to dwell together 
in love for ever. Such is our present honour, to be 
with the excellent of the earth, educating together for 
glory in the highest heavens. Accept from us all our 
best wishes for the new year. May peace national, 
peace domestic, peace internal, and peace everlasting, 
be with you, and all our fellow-citizens ! 

Pray remember us to our sister and niece at 
Ipswich. 

From your affectionate uncle, 

H. Venn. 



The Churchwardens of St. Neot's sent a petition to the 
Vicar, who was non-resident, signed by all the principal inha- 
bitants of the place, to request that Mr. John Venn might be 
appointed their Curate. At the conclusion of their services 
at St. Neot's, Mr. Venn thus speaks : — 

Next Sunday is the last of ten that my son and 

myself have served St. Neot's. It is surprising how 
their strong prejudices are removed, and how much 
civility we receive ! They, in general, wish to have 
the Gospel preached. But we long to hear of more 
than approbation — of conviction of sin, and their receiv- 
ing Christ with gladness and singleness of heart. 



332 



HIS SON PRESENTED TO LITTLE DUNHAM. 



At the close of January 1783, Mr. John Venn was pre- 
sented to the living of Little Dunham, near Swaffham, Nor- 
folk, by the late Edward Parry, Esq., a Director of the East- 
India Company, who was then residing at the Lodge, in that 
parish. In announcing this event, in the letters to different 
friends, Mr. Venn writes thus : — 

The patron, who lives in the parish, and his 

wife, are both young, and extremely in earnest to 
please God, and to have the Name of Jesus magni- 
fied. He is one of the most agreeable men I ever saw. 
My acquaintance with him has been for little more 
than two years, and but slight. 

The clear value of the living is 135Z. : it has 

come entirely unexpected and unsought, as the ap- 
pointment of our Great Lord and Master, who sendeth 
His servants withersoever He pleaseth. The place is 
fifty- three miles from me. So soon comes our sepa- 
ration ! I shall suffer much from the absence of such 
a son ; but my consolation is, to look forward to the 
time when we shall meet to part no more — when all 
the faithful pastors of Christ shall, at the head of their 
respective flocks, receive the crown of glory which 
fadeth not away. Till then, we must both be about 
our Master's work, in different parts of the vineyard ; — 
I, in my old age and decline ; — he, if it please God to 
give him health, strong to labour, and to do more and 
more for the good of souls. 

A more pleasing son no man could wish. On 

all sides, I am congratulated on his account ; and not 
without reason. I only wish my disposition, and tem- 
per, and self-abasement, and conscientious regard to 
duty, were equal to his. I could have wished you 
had been with us, in family prayer, the morning after 



YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE. 



333 



he received the letter containing the offer of the living. 
It was very affecting to hear with what self-abasement 
and earnestness he besought the Lord to bestow upon 
him abilities and grace for the work of the ministry. 

We shall not cease to pray that Mr. Parry's 

hopes may be fully answered — that the poor may 
have the Gospel preached to them — and that his own 
soul, and his dear wife's, may be fed in the House of 
God. 



Yelling, Feb. 28, 1783. 

Several days I lately spent at Cambridge 

with four young clergymen — Mr. Atkinson, Fellow 
and Tutor of Trinity Hall, full brother to Miles of 
Leeds, Mr. Simeon, Dr. Jowett, and Mr. Farish : all 
our discourse was to the purpose. I prayed with them 
twice a day. Their affection for me was expressed in 
the most obliging manner. They have, since I left 
them, been over with me. The Lord has touched 
their hearts to love the Truth ; — for this is the footing 
on which our acquaintance is built. He who knoweth 
all hearts, knoweth I long to be doing something for 
Him! 

Mr. Simeon's ministry is likely to be blessed. 

We may indeed say, " A great door is opened ! 99 
Many gownsmen hear him. What follows, is as true 
— " there are many adversaries." He comes over, to 
advise with me on every occasion ; but the wonderful 
Counsellor is with him. \ 



334 INGRATITUDE NOT TO DISCOURAGE US. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 
MY VERY DEAR BROTHER, Yelling, April 26, 1783 

This morning I received your letter, in which you 
express a consciousness of my accusing you for your 
silence. I know you too well, and I love you too 
much, to admit even a thought to your disadvantage. 
But I should be without excuse, if I did not instantly 
write to you, as I would talk with you, had I the 
pleasure of being in your presence. 

I perceive you are too much affected with the base 
return of some of your people. A base return, in- 
deed, for all your pastoral care, and truly-Christian 
kindness ! Had your spirits been less lowered, you 
certainly would have paid no regard to what, perhaps, 
a single ungrateful person, hating the Truth and your 
faithfulness, rashly uttered ; and this was then multi- 
plied into the saying of many. Be not discouraged. 
Our dear Lord felt, and foresaw, what you have met 
with, when He said. " Do good, and lend, hoping for 
nothing again. 39 — What ! no gratitude, no cordial 
thanks, no esteem and praise ! — No I nothing ! — And 
why should we be so much cut to the heart, to find 
our kindness and benefits received with as little 
regard as we ourselves have received all the mercies, 
the temporal mercies, of our God ? — There is much 
use in these things. Were the gratitude of those we 
help (perhaps feed and clothe) to be such as we natu- 
rally expect, we should be pleased, and tempted to 
think well of our bounty, and be led to do good from 
impure motives. As it is ordered, we can have no 
motive, but love, to persevere in doing good to those 
who even take the lead in abusing and slandering us ; 
none, but bowels of mercies, which all the elect of 
God put on. 



CHARACTERS OF LONDON MINISTERS. 



335 



Thanks be to God, that you are now recovering, 
and able again to minister I I congratulate you, 
also, and dear Mrs. Stillingfleet, on the recovery of 
your dear son. Had he been taken away, though 
from the evil to come, you would both have been 
greatly distressed. But our God spareth us, and in 
all respects treateth us with tenderness, when the 
sharpest sufferings are not needful. — I heard not one 
syllable of your distress, till last Sunday sevennight. 
May power and might be given you from above ! 
Study the usage which all the Prophets and Apostles 
received, for speaking in the Name of the Lord. Are 
we to be exempted ? Are we wiser, and better, than 
they ? Do we hope to live with them for ever, and 
yet to escape the persecution which, in so large a 
measure, was their cross and trial ? 

The last week I returned to my family ; having left 
them for near seven weeks ; which I spent in London, 
with more than usual comfort, on several accounts. 
I had a more lively sense of the presence and loving- 
kindness of my Lord, and more of the spirit of prayer. 
I had much pleasure in seeing the prosperity of the 
souls of several dear and aged friends. Like fruits 
quite ripe, and beautiful to look on, they appear ready 
to be gathered ; — some under sanctified affliction of a 
meek and humble spirit, blessing and praising God ; — 
others, still more distinguished by grace, able to 
manage wealth, and making to themselves everlasting 
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. With the 
evangelists and pastors I was also much pleased ; — 
with the wisdom and knowledge, and truly amiable 
temper, of the Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth — with the 
simplicity and watchfulness, and unblameable life and 
labours, of Mr. Foster — with the admirable talents and 



336 HIS SON'S MINISTRY AT LITTLE DUNHAM. 

eloquent evangelical preaching" of Dr. Peckwell — with 
the apostolical spirit, and abilities, and great grace of 
Mr. Cecil — with my old friend and fellow-labourer, 
and a wonder of a man, who seems now drawing 
towards the end of his highly-honoured labours, Mr. 
Romaine — with the ingenious and very useful Mr. De 
Coetlogon, and Mr. Herbert Jones. 

It gave me great satisfaction to think, that when 
we, who are aged (I mean not to apply this epithet to 
yourself), Messrs. Romaine, Berridge, Newton, and 
myself, are called home, there are raised up so many 
messengers and preachers of the same glorious Gospel 
of the Blessed God. The Rector of Dunham, I trust, 
will more than supply his poor father's place in the 
Church. He has begun to teach and preach the Ado- 
rable Saviour to them. They are a people sitting in 
darkness ; no less without God, without Christ, 
without hope in the world, than the inhabitants of 
Japan ! His first sermon was on that blessed word, 
" He is able to save unto the uttermost all who come 
unto God by Him." One of his people, with whom 
he conversed afterwards, assured him they were good 
Christians, and not incarnate devils, as he seemed to 
think. — Help him with your prayers ! He needs them 
much. 

—I am now returned to my own station. 

My prayer, day and night, is for success ; yet I find 
but little. My church is fuller than it was some time 
since ; but I have still to lament that the Holy Ghost 
is not sent down from heaven. Last Sunday, the 
number of hearers was large, and they were atten- 
tive ; but they were not pricked to the heart : — how- 
ever, our business is, to work, and to wait. We shall 
know hereafter, though now we know not, why there 



MINISTERIAL ADVICE TO HIS SON. 



337 



is given from above a vehement desire to do good to 
souls, and glorify the name of J esus, yet the preachers 
who feel it do no more good. I know not how I 
should bear up, if I did not find this same trial ap- 
pointed to all who labour in the word and doctrine. 

Let me hear from you soon ; but never think I 
can entertain one surmise that you want affection for 
me, whether you write or are silent. 

From your affectionate brother in Christ, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN 

(at little dunham). 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, April 29, ] 783. 

Yesterday, our eager expectation of a letter was 
gratified. And we are thankful to the Father of all 
our mercies, that you got safe to Dunham ; as I did, 
also, to my family, on Wednesday ; after experienc- 
ing, most undeservedly, the friendship and love of 
many excellent people, for the sake and name of 
Jesus, whom we serve. 

I am not pleased that you begin with two sermons. 
Stay till you are quite strong. 

You are now to consider yourself as a Missionary, 
sent to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Savages are 
not more ignorant of His glory and His love, or their 
need of His arm to save their souls, than nominal 
Christians. Look upon your people as prisoners 
under condemnation ; for whose pardon and recovery 
you ought to feel, as a tender mother does for the 
child at her breast. Lament an unfeeling heart in 
yourself, as well as in them. Beg earnestly that you 
may long after their salvation in the bowels of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Be sure, speak not against the 
z 



338 PREACHING ON THE COMMANDMENTS. 

clergy around you : on the contrary, be an intercessor 
for them too, before the Throne of Grace. 

I would have you preach upon the Commandments. 
God always blesses that preaching". But when you 
have explained how much more the commandment 
requires than men suppose, then shew how reasonable, 
how necessary it is, that such a commandment should 
be given ; and that the design of it is not to destroy 
men, but to constrain them to come to Christ for life. 
You might take for your text, either that in Romans 
iii. : " Now, what the Law saith, it saith to them, 
&c. ; " — or that in Gal. iii. : " Now the Scripture has 
concluded (shut up, as in a prison) all under sin, that 
the promise, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, might 
be given to all them that believe." 

Be not discouraged, if you see the people little 
affected for a time. I was here nine months before 
one person of this village came, of his own accord, to 
speak to me about his spiritual concerns. Christ's 
ministers must bear the contradiction of sinners 
against themselves, and wait with all long-suffering, 
as He did : and with respect to the most, they 
may say, at last, " I have stretched forth my hands 
all the day long, to a disobedient and gainsaying 
people." 

Endeavour to speak within the compass of your 
voice ; or you will strain it, and lay yourself aside. 
Remember me ! How have I suffered ! I should 
never have been but in a sphere larger beyond com- 
parison than this, but for that violent overdoing, 
which was not necessary. 

We all should wish (if wishing were not the 
" hectic of a fool ") to have you with us, or near us. 
But He ordereth all things well, who is King for ever 



EXTEMPORE PREACHING. 



339 



and ever. To Him I heartily commend you, body 
and soul ! From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

The present will be an appropriate occasion for introducing 
Mr. Venn's judgment on the question of written or extem- 
pore sermons. It was given in a letter to a young clergy- 
man, who consulted him upon the point. 



You desire my judgment on the important 

subject of preaching written or extempore sermons. 
I believe most men, who have thought on the sub- 
ject, are agreed, that young men should write for 
some years — perhaps five, or seven ; and afterwards, 
when they speak, they certainly should have a plan, 
and the great outlines of their sermon, before them. 
They should speak, not extempore, but after preme- 
ditation, study, and self-abasing prayer. When these 
rules are constantly observed, no written sermons 
will, in general, be more connected, more full of 
matter ; nor can they ever be delivered with so great 
advantage : for, after such due preparation, a pastor 
comes up into the pulpit, weak and ignorant in his 
own eyes, yet full of affiance in his Great Master ; so, 
that he will be jealous of His glory, and pity the 
people. He will have His presence ; and find his 
understanding enlightened even while he speaks ; and 
feel His word has authority and power over the con- 
gregation. When he has done, he will feel ashamed 
of himself ; and be filled with wonder that the Lord 
God should make use of him. In this manner, joined 
to constant reading the word of God, and constant 
z 2 



340 HIS OWN JUDGMENT AND PRACTICE 

cries to be formed and fashioned as a vessel of honour 
to bear witness of Christ, an able minister of the New 
Testament is formed. Those ministers, whether young 
or old, who dare to be idle, to venture into the pulpit 
without looking up and sighing — without feeling 
their total inequality to the subjects they are to prove, 
explain, or enforce — are in a terrible state, and some 
severe correction will be sent, to bring them to them- 
selves ; or they will proceed from bad to worse. It is 
too true, I fear, that many times we all offend, in neg- 
lecting to prepare : but when a strict watch is kept on 
this head, and we beg of our Lord, that, with all reve- 
rence and godly fear, with all carefulness and under- 
standing, we may fulfil the ministry we have received, 
we shall, in the tenour of our ministry, be found 
faithful, and be blessed in our work. — Mr. De Coet- 
logon is a charming proof that you may speak with 
clearness, strong reason, fulness, and pathos, by taking 
pains. Dr. Peckwell I have heard no less excellent ; 
and Mr. Whitfield, with others of my own particular 
intimates. I have known them, sometimes — that is, 
by due preparation — do justice to their subject — in- 
struct, convince, exhort, persuade, to the feasting of 
the soul. At others, through sloth, love of company, 
self-confidence, and little love to souls, I have heard 
them lean, incoherent, defective, and sadly ludicrous. 
I have been myself greatly guilty, through the causes 
above named ; and suffered and smarted for it, long 
after. But when I had prepared myself, and sought 
the Lord fully, I do not know that I have been left to 
wander, or to utter small talk, and any thing that 
came uppermost, above five or six times. Upon the 
whole, I much prefer speaking to writing ; but upon 
this condition, that the speaker read much, write 



RESPECTING EXTEMPORE PREACHING. 



341 



much, think and pray much. As for those speakers 
who know not their subject till the Bible is opened in 
the pulpit, their preaching must be deplorable. 



It will be interesting, as well as instructive, to add to this 
statement an account of the way in which Mr. Venn himself 
commenced the practice of extempore preaching ; especially 
as it has been stated, in print, that he was the first London 
minister who revived the practice ; preceding Mr. Romaine in 
this respect. 

From his first entrance into the ministry, he devoted much 
time and thought to the composition of his sermons, and fre- 
quently transcribed them afresh. He wrote out his first ser- 
mon ten times before he delivered it in public. In the year 
1754, after having been nearly seven years in the ministry, 
and twenty-nine years of age, he first attempted extempore 
preaching. He made the trial at the Wednesday Morning 
Lecture at St. Antholin's, taking up into the pulpit with him 
a sermon which he had before delivered : upon which I find, 
after the notice of its delivery at two other places, the follow- 
ing remark : — 

" Preached at St. Antholin's, March 20, 1754. — 
This morning is much to be remembered by me ; for, 
after many doubts in my mind, whether I should en- 
deavour to preach only by premeditation — and recom- 
mending the matter to my God in prayer, beseeching 
Him, if it were most for the edification of hearers and 
the furtherance of His Gospel, to assist me mightily, 
and to put strength and confidence into my feeble 
timorous spirit — I have found an assistance, which I 
have reason never to forget." 



342 



EXTEMPORE PREACHING. 



Far, however, from bestowing, after this time, less pains 
upon the work of preaching, he continued, for above four 
years, to write out, with equal care, the whole of the sermons 
which w T ere to be delivered before his more important congre- 
gations ; so that he composed, after he had commenced ex- 
tempore preaching, above twice the number of sermons he had 
made before. 

It was also his custom to write at the head of all his ser- 
mons, even of the slightest sketches of his extempore dis- 
courses, the Greek words — 

Ao£a tw ©ea>* /jlql ajuaproyXco eAeog. 
Glory to God ! Mercy to me a sinner ! 

How strikingly did this practice indicate the spirit and frame 
of mind in which he composed and delivered his sermons ! 



TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON. 

MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, June 16, 1783. 

We all rejoiced at the receipt of your letter of the 
23d of May, for your safe arrival at your home, after 
seeing your daughter well. — I remark, in your letter, 
with much sympathy, what you say of your visit to 
Yelling. No family, I believe, enjoys the company 
of yourself and Mrs. Atkinson more than we do. It 
was mortifying enough, therefore, that we had no 
more than a glimpse of you : however, we must have 
no will of our own in any thing. Yet it was not 
selfishness which made me wish for more of your 
company : it was, to have more discourse with you 
about the most interesting matters. 

If I mistake not, you are apt to be cast down, in 
the view of our extreme depravity ; whereas, you 



CONVICTIONS OF SIN. 



343 



should not, in the least degree, be less confident of 
your eternal salvation for such humbling views. 
Flesh and blood never produce them ; nor our enemy, 
the wicked-one. Conviction of our evil nature is 
from on high, and cometh down from above. It is 
peculiar to the saints in Christ Jesus ; and works in 
them humility, and love, and adoration, and a most 
thankful acceptance of Christ. Before the veil is 
taken from our hearts, it is only from report we prize 
Him, and for what we hope one day to get from 
Him. But when we feel the corruption of our nature 
— envy and pride, and impurity and unbelief, and 
hardness of heart, and brutish stupidity in secret 
prayer and in public — then we can sigh and groan, 
being burdened ; and then we know that we are as 
vile and wicked, to the full, as the word of God de- 
clares us to be. Many and great are the spiritual 
advantages attending this very humiliating sight of 
our condition : it stops our mouths from railing and 
evil speaking : it inclines us to take the lowest place : 
it makes us poor, and of a contrite spirit; and to 
tremble at God's word, if he were to enter into judg- 
ment with us. Now, this is the very disposition and 
temper He declares to be well~pleasing in His sight. 
It is well for us He doth so : for if I may judge of 
others by myself, after thirty-six years 5 attention and 
care, and earnest seeking after God, I have more reason 
than ever to say, " In me, that is in my flesh, there 
dwelleth no good thing." I sometimes pour out my 
complaint in a Hymn, which I now transcribe, — be- 
cause you will not find it in any of the Hymn-books ; 
— and I think it will admirably suit you, when you 
are bemoaning your corruptions before God. 



344 



VISIT FROM HIS SON. 



Thy miracles of love no joy to me impart ; 

In me no tender passions move, O my unfeeling heart ! 

When, Lord, to Thee I turn, nail'd to th' accursed tree, 
With no transporting love I burn, although Thou diedst 
for me ! 

When I my sins recall, to pass before my eye, 
Scarce one bewailing tear will fall ; I scarce can heave one 
sigh ! 

Thy promises I lay close to my pained breast ; 
Fain would I hope : hope flees away ; and still I find no 
rest ! 

Thus dark must I walk on, in fear and misery ; 

And never shall my bosom glow with fervent love to Thee ? 

Unclose, unclose these eyes ! pour in the longed-for day ! 
Before me bid Thy glory rise ! my darkness chase away ! 

Last week, my son came over, to stay only one day 
and a half. It is good to bear the yoke in one's 
youth ; and he has many more trials than if he had 
been Fellow of a College and a Curate. But our 
place and station in the world are not left to our 
choice. God forbid ! His infinite wisdom appoints 
them ; and to all who call upon His name, it shall 
work for the best. Mr. and Mrs. Riland, and my 
daughter and my son, all left us the same day : and 
my heart rather sank at parting from my son, so far 
as we are separated, and so seldom as we are to meet. 
How merciful the command ! — and how precious the 
grace which enables us to conform to it ! — " Seek 
those things which are above " ! On them set your 
affections. They are always present with us; and 
never disappoint our utmost expectations. 



CONTROVERSIAL CORRESPONDENCE. 345 

Within these nine days, I have had two long and 
very warm letters, fall of heavy charges against me. 
To the first I returned an answer, without the least 
resentment ; only telling my correspondent, we could 
be no more acquainted. To the last I shall return 
none ; for nothing hurts the mind more than debate 
and controversy. The writer challenges Mr. Newton 
and myself to join forces, and answer his book : how- 
ever, I shall not cease to pray for him, nor to wish 
we may meet at last in the kingdom of our Saviour 
above. 

We have had a most gracious rain, just before the 
plants were beginning to wither. Oh that the pour- 
ing out of the Spirit might be vouchsafed, to make the 
inhabitants of our land know their Maker, and en- 
gage in His service ; lest it should be said, " Yea, I 
have cursed their blessings" ! 

I had like to have forgotten a circumstance of 
much comfort to us here — the happy and joyful de- 
parture of as poor a creature, to the eye of flesh, as 
can be conceived ; but she was all-glorious within. 
I preached her funeral sermon, in a large company, 
last Sunday. Oh, may we be comforted in the 
trying hour ! 

From your indebted friend, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Sept. 2, 1783. 

You have no cause to be discouraged, that you yet see 
no fruit. How little, in comparison, have the ablest, 
brightest ministers ever seen — in comparison, I say, 
of what they might expect ! Hear what the Good 
Shepherd, and the only infallible Preacher, saith: 



346 



MINISTERS NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED. 



" All the day long have I stretched forth my hands to 
a gainsaying and disobedient people." When He 
opened the eyes of the blind in vast numbers, a very 
small part, even of them, beheld His glory / When 
He cleansed at once ten lepers, one only gave God 
thanks ! When He made the lame, by thousands, to 
walk, scarcely one of them would follow Him! Shall, 
then, the servant wonder his word is treated as was 
his Lord's ? " Yet," saith He, " though Israel be not 
gathered, I shall be glorious." So each of His pastors 
may say : * Though, after many prayers and tears, 
and much crying unto God, and setting plainly before 
the people the way of life in Christ Crucified, I find 
scarcely any one that will receive my testimony — 
whilst I, in my own example, do honour the Gospel 
— shall I conclude I am not sent of the Lord ? shall I 
be disquieted and miserable ? 3 By no means ! The 
purposes of God will be surely answered : and not the 
minister who has most success in his preaching shall 
stand highest in the day of the Lord ; but the minister 
whose eye has been single ; whose prayers have been 
fervent ; whose bowels of mercies have been yearning 
over the ignorant, and those who are out of the way; 
and who has most readily sacrificed his own will and 
temporal interest. Such are conformable to Christ; 
and upon such He will put the greatest honour. 

Further, we are not proper judges of the good that 
is done by us. Very often we are not to know it : it 
would puff us up. Even here, at Yelling, where 
many think there is little good done, I hear from one 
and another of o-lad tidings. This last week, I have 
visited Mr. Heading, of Little Paxton, who is dying 
in the peace of God, and inquires most affectionately 
after you ; — Mrs. Brichard, of whose life also there is 



BY WANT OF SUCCESS. 



347 



no hope ; and Mrs. Ivitt, who is at the point to die ; 
each of them looking unto Jesus. You have been 
only six months, in October — and what are six 
months ! Only read, and pray, and watch ; and take 
no denial. If you see no success, you are not to be 
cast down ; but, with more vehemence plead, and 
claim the promises made to those who speak his word 
faithfully. Think how Mr. Joseph Allen, of Taunton, 
waited from year to year for those who set at nought 
the word ; yet, at length, he was the instrument, in 
the hand of Christ, of bringing them to heaven. 

I cannot but approve your taking pupils ; but this 
must not be lightly determined upon. You must 
have well considered and digested your plans, that 
you may do full justice to them in their education. I 
think it will be no hindrance to the discharge of your 
ministry. But ask counsel, in all this matter, of the 
Lord ; beseeching Him to direct you, and to set aside 
every intention of your own, if it will not be right in 
His eyes. — All send their love. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



At the close of this year (1783), Mr. and Mrs. Venn 
visited several friends in Warwickshire and Shropshire. The 
next letter was written at the end of the first day's journey, 
to his two daughters, who were left at home. 



348 



HIS PARENTAL AFFECTION. 



TO MISSES JANE AND CATHERINE VENN. 

MY DEAR JANE AND KITTY, Thrapston, Oct. 21, 1783. 

Blest be the dear uniting love 
Which will not let us part ! 
In body we may far remove ; 
But we are one in heart ; — 
one in faith, in life, in hope, in pursuit, in the chief 
object of our happiness, and shall be (I make no 
doubt) one for ever and ever. — I feel too much in 
parting from you. I should sit more loose to all 
creature-comforts than I do : and so should my dear 
daughters. You should love your parents, and dearest 
friends, with a limited affection, and let your whole 
soul flow out in love to the adorable Immanuel. See 
Him on His throne, ordering all things well, in love, 
for all who call on His name, and put their trust in 
His mercy ; — as I am very sure you both do. 

It is with unspeakable satisfaction that I think you 
are both, my dear children, able to be alone, without 
ennui — that you are able to be alone, without feeling 
any want of any creature. It is a noble indepen- 
dency of spirit, which even the princes and monarchs 
of the world want. 

Nothing will satisfy me, but your living with me, 
with all the spirits of the just made perfect! Be 
assured, that you ought to resist all those fears which 
cast you down. God is love to all His praying 
people, who allow themselves in no evil way. He 
is love to you — and only love — and love for ever- 
more. Have you any doubt that I should give you 
heaven, and eternal glory, if I had it in my gift I 
" Oh no \" you both immediately reply. — If I then, 
being evil, know how to give good things unto my 



" GOD IS LOVE. 



349 



children, how much more shall God, your Heavenly 
Father (repeat the sweet name !) give unto you that 
eternal inheritance ! Watch therefore, and pray 
against hard thoughts of God, as if He were austere, 
and waiting for our frailties, to punish them; whereas 
He is a God delighting to pardon. He hath loved 
you with an everlasting love ; and therefore with 
loving-kindness hath He withdrawn your hearts from 
all the idols which young persons worship, till they 
are divinely changed. 

To descend now from things of highest import and 
excellence to ourselves : — God has given us a safe 
journey hither — your dear mamma not at all fatigued. 
We are just setting off to see our friends. I shall be 
more glad when we are here, on our way back, to see 
you both. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn - . 



From letters written during this journey, I extract the 
following notices of several friends whom he saw on this 
excursion. 



My soul has been much refreshed and quickened 
by the company and example of several excellent 
Christians, who indeed walk before God to all well- 
pleasing. 

Mr. Riland, in labours of love, in visiting the sick, 
in giving largely to the needy, in love to the Saviour, 
and in humility, has no superior. I suppose he 
walks five or six miles every day, in visiting his 
people. He has just begun catechizing the young 
people, on Tuesday evenings : the young men one 



350 FLETCHER JONATHAN SCOTT ROBINSON. 

week, and the young women another. This is the 
luxury of life ! I looked upon him with the most 
pleasing" and full assurance of seeing him among the 
most faithful, in whom God shall be glorified, when I 
shall be many ranks below him in our common 
Father's kingdom. He, and Mr. Burnet of Elland, 
have a steadiness in them, surprising. They are men 
who " abhor that which is evil," and " cleave to that 
which is good." 

Mr. Fletcher, a genius, and a man of fire — all on 
the stretch to do good — to lose not a day, not an 
hour. He is married to a lady worthy of him — Miss 
Bosanquet — a lady with whom I was acquainted 
twenty-nine years ago. She was then sixteen, and 
bred up in all the pride of life ; her father being one 
of the chief merchants in London. By the grace of 
God, she at that time renounced the world, from her 
heart, and gave up herself to the Lord. Since then, 
she has bred up seventy-four destitute young girls for 
service, and seen them placed out to her satisfaction ; 
and, instead of dressing, visiting, and conforming to 
all the vain and expensive customs of the world, she 
has been wholly employed in doing good. I left this 
happy house — as Cecil, Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, 
left Bernard Gilpin's — saying, " There dwells as 
much happiness as can be known on earth." 

From thence I went to Mr. Jonathan Scott's. He 
was once an officer in the army, amongst the gayest 
of the gay: now he is a bright example of every 
Christian grace, and spends all his strength in preach- 
ing to crowded congregations. 

I visited also Mr. Robinson, at Leicester. For 
learning, wisdom, grace, and humility, he resembles 
Daniel. Though without wealth, he has done more 



WEAK AND STRONG FAITH. 



351 



for the town of Leicester than the rich : he has raised 
a charity-school for boys, where there was none before, 
and instructs them occasionally himself: preaches 
twice a week at the Infirmary, and three times in his 
own church. When you are with him, his whole air, 
and manner of conversation, affect, and please, and 
profit. Such honour does the Lord put upon his 
saints ! It is a great privilege to be with them. — All 
my delight is in thy saints, O Lord, and such as excel 
in virtue ! How shall I triumph, to be found in the 
same world with them. 



TO LADY SMYTHE. 
MADAM, Yelling, Jan. 9, 1784. 

On the first day of each new year, I am particu- 
larly called upon to remember, with gratitude and 
Christian love, the several kind friends to whom I am 
so much indebted ; and, above all, my patron ; while 
my situation is so suited to a disabled man, past 
labouring in a larger sphere. I remember your lady- 
ship, as fainty yet pursui?ig — as waiting for the reve- 
lation of the glory of Christ, and His unsearchable 
riches. And, as the most suitable subject I can write 
upon, I have chosen this — the capital points in which 
consists the difference between a weak and a strong 
faith in Christ ; earnestly wishing you may be enabled 
to perceive you are a believer, though a weak one, 
and desiring and praying to grow strong in faith, and 
to triumph in Jesus Christ. 

Weak faith seeks salvation only in Christ, and 
yields subjection to Him, and brings the soul to His 
feet, though without assurance of being as yet saved 
by Him. There is not one duty a weak believer 



352 



DESCRIPTION OF 



slights. Weak faith is attended with sorrow and hu- 
miliation ; as in his case, who spoke with tears, 
"Lord, I believe ! help thou my unbelief." It pro- 
duces new desires and affections, new principles and 
purposes, and a new practice, though not in such 
strength and vigour as is found in old established 
believers. It produces an attachment to our Saviour 
invincible. Ask the weakest and most disconsolate 
believer, whether he would forsake and give up his 
hope in Christ : he will eagerly reply — " Not for the 
whole world I" There is no reason, therefore, why 
weak believers should conclude against themselves ; 
for weak faith unites as really with Christ as strong 
faith — as the least bud in the vine is drawing sap 
and life from the root, no less than the strongest 
branch. Weak believers, therefore, have abundant 
cause to be thankful; and, while they reach after 
growth in grace, ought not to overlook what they have 
already received. 

The evidence of a strong faith is a clear appre- 
hension of salvation already obtained in Christ Jesus. 
"We have known and believed the love that God 
hath to us. God is love I" We have wisdom for 
direction, pardon for sin, grace to keep and preserve 
us. " All things are ours ; for we are Christ's, and 
Christ is God's." Strong believers can say, ' God is 
ours — though they want the present sense of His 
love, or the comfortable frames they have rejoiced in 
formerly, And they see the affection of a Father, 
though clouds and darkness encompass them. This 
is exemplified in all the saints ; and remarkably in 
the case of Job : — " Though He slay me, yet will I 
trust in him !" A man weak in faith would have 
said : " I am cast out of the sight of His eyes ; and 



WEAK AND STRONG FAITH. 



353 



He will no more have mercy upon me." Strong 
faith will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, when the 
means of help in the time of difficulty do not appear, 
when all means fail, and all props are taken away. 
When the word of the Lord is tried to the uttermost, 
and in the lowest strait to which His children can be 
reduced, its faithfulness and truth shine the brightest. 
Thus Moses trusted in God, when the Red Sea was 
before him, the Egyptians behind, and the mountains 
on each side. Thus David, when the people were 
going to stone him at Ziklag, comforted himself in the 
Lord his God. Thus Daniel and the Three Children. 
Oh, glorious persuasion! which can keep the mind 
in perfect peace, even in the extremest difficulties ! 
Strong faith can overcome those doubts and objections 
which distress and perplex weak believers. In par- 
ticular seasons, there are doubts in the most esta- 
blished believers: even they are sometimes afraid 
lest they should perish, or be found hypocrites at 
last r but, after prayer and cries, and sore conflicts, the 
sun again shines bright, and all their doubts are dis- 
pelled. Strong faith is pursuing, and can wait long ; 
when weak faith is discouraged, and faints under the 
delay of the help and mercy it craves. Strong faith 
can even take denials well'; not only respecting tem- 
poral things, but respecting spiritual enjoyments ; 
saying, "Not my will, but Thine, be done!" And 
strong faith, in its highest actings, enables us to rejoice 
in necessity, in distresses, in circumstances most dis- 
maying to the nature of man. 

From hence it appears what a race Christians have 
to run, and to what growth in grace they may attain. 
Watchfulness, prayer, and self-denial, and a heart 
quite in earnest, looking unto Jesus, will bring us to 

A A 



354 



DIVINE PROTECTION. 



it. Let us not think it too much for us to receive, 
" Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it," is the com- 
mand of our God. 

From your much-indebted servant, 

H. Venn. 

TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Yelling, January 19, 1784. 

It is high time for me to write, and send you my 
best wishes, that your ladyship may enjoy a happy 
new-year. "Happy" is a proud word — much too 
high for a sinful creature ! Granted ; — but not too 
much for God our Saviour to bestow. " My peace 
(saith He, in the largeness of His affection) I leave 
with you. My peace I give unto you." And again : 
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy 
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." 
Thus may you be blessed in the midst of trials and 
manifold corruptions of heart ! 

Many fears I had, lest your journey should be more 
than you could bear ; and lest you might be very ill 
upon the road, far from every friend but one. Most 
pleasing, therefore, was the news I received from our 
two friends in St. James's Place, of your better state 
of health. Oh, sing unto the Lord ! for He is good, 
our Guard, our Guide, our Shepherd; and we His 
sheep. We go out, we come in, feeble and faint, in 
the midst of dangers and enemies, inflamed with rage 
and malice against us ; but our hairs are numbered, 
and no evil befals us. How superior your pleasures ! 
far above what the grand world can conceive ; while 
you have seen so many of the family of Christ — in 
some, one feature of His own likeness more predo- 
minant ; in some, another ; but none complete and 



STUDENTS AT CAMBRIDGE. 



355 



without defect. One reason may probably be, to pre- 
vent our admiring too much the living image, and 
setting our affections on it, to the hurt of our souls, 
and neglect of the Great Original, in whom alone is 
perfect beauty. 

It gave me joy to see Mr. and Mrs. Elton much 
concerned for the good of the poor people of West 
Bromwich. It is grace, indeed, to condescend, from 
love, to men of low estate ! What a privileged station 
have Christians ! We have enjoyed it exceedingly 
this last month: though shut up in our house without 
a visiter, in the midst of snow, so as neither to walk 
nor ride, our happy life sweetly glides away. We say 
one to another, How short is our time ! We wish 
those who find it a burden could give us some portion 
of it. When we were in Warwickshire, my two 
youngest daughters were six weeks alone, literally ; 
but so far from being gloomy, they read, and worked, 
and enjoyed their time exceedingly. Oh, what a noble 
and independent spirit is produced by the power of 
godliness ! How mistaken and wretched are the mul- 
titude, who eagerly and greedily indulge their low 
earthly appetites as the way of true pleasure ; whereas 
that is found in the wise and holy use of the highest 
faculties of the soul, on the things unseen and 
eternal. 

I have good news to send you from Cambridge. — 
Mr. Simeon is made for great usefulness. There are 
near twenty promising young students. Several of 
them come over, at times, to me ; and make me happy 
in the opportunity of commending to them the best 
Master — the best service that men or angels can be 
called to work in. Pleasing is the hope, that many 
shall, by them, be made rich in peace and love divine, 

A A 2 



356 



IMPORTANCE OF ASSURANCE. 



and meet for heaven ! They listen to my instructions 
with great simplicity : and I inculcate much modera- 
tion, obedience to superiors, and no breaking out to be 
teachers, when they are mere novices. Hard lesson to 
young men ! Yet they observe it, and bring credit 
upon their seriousness. 

In my own parish, I have small encouragement. 
Several who were called, are removed, either by death, 
or fixing in other places. However, I look off from 
every discouragement, to the Lord, whom I serve. 
My trust is in His promise : my aim is, to make Him 
known and loved supremely. He hears me pray. — 
Be Thou exalted ! Be Thou extolled ! — And in my 
want of success respecting many, I must submit ; 
saying, " Even so, Father ! for so it seemeth good in 
thy sight/' 

Mrs. Venn and my daughters desire their best re- 
spects. I beg to be remembered to the Ladies at 
Brighton. 

From your much-indebted servant, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yetting, April 17, 1784. 

Very pleasant indeed to us all was your visit ; and 
caused many thanksgivings for the favour God has 
been pleased to shew you. My prayers are heard — 
my desires concerning you are fulfilled. You are a 
pastor in the Church of Christ ; and in you, an earthly 
vessel, is put the inestimable treasure of the light of 
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ. Instead of doubting, therefore, you have the 
greatest cause imaginable for rejoicing that you are 
in Christ, and He in you. Remember, no command 



VISIT TO A CONDEMNED MALEFACTOR. 357 

in the New Testament is oftener repeated, than, " Re- 
joice in the Lord \" Nothing more becomes us, than 
assurance (in the full view of our unworthiness and 
corruptions, and the purity of our God) grounded on 
the purchase paid for us — on the promise and oath of 
God. Nothing more honours Him, or commends His 
cause. Nothing more discourages and damps the 
hearts of men, than to hear those who are acknow- 
ledged to be walking circumspectly, and with a single 
eye, speak in terms of suspicion and fear. This is 
the device of the enemy, to perplex and vex those 
who are faithful, by endless fears and the spirit of 
bondage. " Ask, and ye shall have," &c. — this is 
enough to make us confident. 

On Thursday, in the last week, I learnt from Mr. 
Simeon that the condemned malefactor, at Cambridge, 
had been amongst my hearers at Huddersfield. I 
went, in a post-chaise, with Mr. Simeon, to Cam- 
bridge, on Friday. The man knew me, though twenty 
years had passed since he had seen me. He was 
much affected; and fell on my neck. I was with 
him near two hours; but I am not able to say whether 
he hath received of the Lord the gift of faith. Now 
his life is spared by Mr. Pitt (who was on Saturday 
chosen Member for the University), it will be seen 
whether he returns to his old courses, or is a new 
man. Very, very few are real converts from jails ! 

Yesterday I was at Everton. The pastor was well, 
and most affectionate in inquiries after you. 

I would not that my declining health should be 
any matter of grief to you ! It is my prayer to be 
taken to my Father's home, before I am useless in 
the Church. What have I to expect, but days in 
which " I can have no pleasure," through infirmities, 



358 PROSPECT OP HIS OWN DEATH. 

if life be prolonged. I am exceedingly thankful to 
see your very tender regard for your sisters. Were I 
to give way (which I do not for a moment) to any 
wish, it would be for them, that they might be kept 
from those crosses to which my removal might expose 
them. — But who am I, to take upon me to say 
what is best for them ? Thy will, dear Lord, be done ! 
All I desire is, that they may, from the heart, say the 
same. I am daily praying for myself, that I may die 
well — I mean, in much peace, and hope and cheer- 
fulness ; for the comfort of my family, and the honour 
of the doctrine I have preached ; — and that whenever I 
depart, my dear wife and children may say, with con- 
solation the world knoweth not of — 

Why should we mourn departed friends, 

Or shake at death's alarms ? 
'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends. 

To call them to His arms. 

I verily believe we are united in Christ; and shall 
soon meet in His kingdom, and be found numbered 
amongst the Children for whom He died. The Lord 
J esus be with your spirit ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, April 21, 1784. 

" He hath chosen me in affliction," you may truly 
say! He hath called you to follow Him, bearing 
your cross. I should be uneasy, did I not know that 
the merciful and gracious Lord does much afflict and 
scourge His elect ; — did I not know, from His infal- 
lible word, from my own experience, and the case of 



ANXIETY AT HIS SON'S ILLNESS. 



359 



many of my friends, that all things work together for 
good to them that are in Christ. But I am not uneasy 
in an improper way. Parental feeling for a beloved 
son will work ; and I am, by the same afflictions which 
are laid upon you, called to humiliation and prayer 
for you and for us all. And since I received your 
letter on Monday, I can truly say, " As the eyes of 
servants (corrected for their faults) look unto the hand 
of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the 
hand of her mistress, so are my eyes unto the Lord, 
until He is pleased to have mercy "* on you, and 
restore you to health and strength. Blessed be the 
name of our God ! I have found such solemn seasons 
of heavy trial, as you have too, very profitable. — The 
uncertainty how you do, and the suspense, is a great 
part of the trial. But so much have we to be thank- 
ful for, on your account — so joined are we in the light, 
love, and liberty, and hope we have in our dear Lord 
Jesus Christ — so fully assured am I that He is purging 
you, as a fruit-bearing branch, that you may bring 
forth more fruit — and that all your grief and pain is 
measured out with tender and everlasting compassion 
— that I am greatly cheered in these thoughts ; and 
am able to say, " Lord ! I cheerfully leave my son in 
Thy hands. After he hath suffered awhile, perfect, 
stablish, strengthen, settle him!" 

If you are not able to write a line, cannot you get 
Mr. Raven to let me know how you do ? You should 
also have a good nurse. Do not, my dear son, when 

* The application of this text (Psalm cxxiii. 2.) is different from 
that usually adopted. Commentators generally regard the Psalmist 
as looking up to God for defence and direction under the oppression of 
others : according to Mr. Venn's interpretation, the Psalmist refers 
his afflictions immediately to the hand of God. — Ed. 



360 SMALL SUCCESS OF FAITHFUL MINISTERS. 

you are ill, be afraid of expense. I will most gladly 
defray it. Yesterday, dear Simeon came, and brought 
your letter. I had but just time to give him a hint 
not to speak of your illness, that your sisters might not 
be uneasy. I want much to come, but I am confined. 
As you cannot serve your church, I wish some means 
could be devised for the supply of it; so that you 
might be with your sisters while we are in town, 
where we intend to be on the 5th of May. 

Dear Mr. Adam finished his course at Wintring- 
ham, three weeks ago, after being fifty-nine years 
rector of that parish. Exceedingly small was his 
success amongst his people, after preaching the Gospel 
thirty years ! 

Mr. Waltham was here ; and gave us, on Monday 
and Tuesday in Easter- week, two excellent sermons, 
in our kitchen. He is much alive, and is comforted 
with some success. 

Do not be discouraged at the present state of your 
people, and all around you. Take for an example of 
suffering affliction, on this account, the Prophets: 
how small was their success ! Our business is, only 
" to declare the whole counsel of God" — to live the 
life of a minister — and not to cease praying. Our 
reward is sure — our record is on high. We must not 
expect to be happier in our work than the most dis- 
tinguished of the servants of God. Some fruit you 
will have ; — and to be among the least and lowest 
of those who turn sinners to God, is an unspeakable 
honour. How am I tried ! — thirteeen years I have 

spoken to, and prayed for, R , A , &c. 

&c. ; and they remain just what they were. Dear 
Simeon feels for you ; and we pray together for you. 

The Lord comfort your heart, and give you to 



IMPROVEMENT OP TEMPORAL BLESSINGS. 361 



abound in hope. By and by we shall enjoy immortal 
health together in our Beloved ! 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 
MY DEAR JANE, Yelling, July 14, 1784. 

Yesterday, your welcome letter arrived ; and we 
all, as you conclude, unite in praising our God, who 
hears our prayers, and is richly deserving our love, for 
his benefits bestowed upon us in this world, even of a 
temporal nature. The natural man loses the sweetest 
part of enjoyment, even of the only things he can 
enjoy. He eats and drinks, and feasts upon the 
creature, as a brute, not knowing from whence it 
comes. If his pleasure and comfort are in a tender 
and beloved wife, an amiable child, or affectionate 
friend — the wife, or child, or friend, is all. A true 
Christian, on the contrary, enjoys the gift more richly, 
as a gift from his bountiful God. " This excellent 
woman, so beloved by me," he says, " the Lord found 
out and bestowed upon me. — This pleasant child, who 
gives me growing delight, is a plant of his planting. 
Care, in education, would have been fruitless, had not 
His grace crowned it with success." 

I am rejoiced to see you are led to be thankful ; 
and to receive, with thanksgiving to our blessed God, 
His tender protection. By returning praise for the 
daily favours we receive, we shall acquire a habit of 
thankfulness, which is pleasing and honourable to 
God, comfort to the mind, and health to the body, in 
most cases ; for a cheerful heart " doeth good, like a 
medicine." 

Such improvement my beloved daughter is enabled, 



362 SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. 

glory be to God ! to make of temporal blessings. Yet 
these only lead the way to, and prepare the mind to 
be the more affected with, the spiritual blessings we 
enjoy. What cause have all those to break out in 
holy joy, who have a heart given them to seek after 
God, to desire restoration to the proper state of an im- 
mortal creature — a state of love to his Maker, of 
entire dependence upon Him, of union of will with 
Him, of delight in His name, of an abiding supreme 
desire to please Him in our place and station ! What 
cause to sing with joy, that the certain possession of 
these tempers is gained by the knowledge of God 
manifest in the flesh ! — for there, love, beyond every 
thing seen or known by men or angels, is displayed ! 
" My God," the believer says, " who hast lived, and 
laboured, and fought, and been wounded, and slain, in 
getting life and salvation for me — how shall I thank 
Thee with becoming ardour ! how shall I love thee 
as I ought; — I am thine! Oh, save me from ever 
grieving Thee, by forgetting my immense debt to 
Thee I" 

Such aspirations as these, souls which are born 
from above, at times, feel; though the best are often 
dull, and stupid, and cold, to astonishment, in this 
matter. When you find your precious soul in this un- 
becoming frame towards your God and Saviour, be 
not discouraged; much less call in question your 
faith; but confess, frankly, your corruption, and 
enlarge upon it; and then humbly beg: "Quicken 
me, O Lord, according to Thy word — according to 
Thy loving-kindness ! I should never have had one 
thought of gratitude and love, hadst Thou not excited 
it in me ! Hast Thou begun to restore my soul, and 
wilt Thou not carry on the work ? That be far from 



A THUNDER-STORM, 



363 



Thee \" — Such humble expostulations are pleasing to 
the Lord, and not without success. 

The very same thunder-storm you were in, reached, 
in great violence, to Orlingbury. It is good to be 
above fear that " hath torment," in such awful weather. 
Christians should labour much not to fear, as men 
without God have cause to do. And if fear of death 
makes us dismayed at the storm, we ought to examine 
whence that fear arises ; and not rest, till we can say, 
' Death is ours. 3 It is but a bad return for all His 
precious promises — and love stronger than death, 
which Christ has had for us — to tremble and quake, 
in case he should take us to Himself. I grant that 
our nerves are soon shaken ; but our God has access 
to our spirits ; and can strengthen us, and give us 
firmness ; and will, when we pray to Him, that, for 
the credit of our faith in His Name, we may not fear 
for the body, but sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, 
and let Him be our fear, and let Him be our dread. 
Wishing you much of His presence, much more know- 
ledge and faith, and love, and every divine temper — 
and often, every day, thinking of you — with kind love 
from your dear mamma, I remain your affectionate 
father, H. Venn. 

P. S. — What is this ? All this a Postscript ! Why, 
it is almost as lono; as the lon^ letter ! — So it is. And 
all this Postscript is, to inform you, and your dear 
fellow-travellers, how it fared with me after we parted, 
and of several other particulars, in the way of con- 
versation. — Charming was the summer's breeze ; and 
nothing, in my way to Kettering, to interrupt my most 
serious thoughts on the constitution of things here — 
plainly concurring, with the word of God, to prove 



364 



MR. SCOTT OF OLNEY. 



that " this is not our rest." Friends, who are most 
happy in each other, and tender relatives, are not long 
together : their interviews are soon at an end. How 
is the mind relieved by particular prayer for them, 
and lively hope of their safety, being interested in the 
great salvation of God ! — With thoughts of this kind, 
and prayer, and singing, I reached my destination. — 
No sooner was I come to Orlingbury, than Mr. and 
Mrs. Scott from Olney (who were visiting in the pa- 
rish) came in ; and very glad we were to meet. He 
is a man of right spirit, always about his Master's 
business ; and has a tongue given him, which is " a 
well of life," always ministering grace to the hearers. 
One hour was all the time we could spend together ; 
and then he engaged me to make an exchange on the 
last Sunday in August, God willing. 

Kitty sets out well. James M. sent for medicine 
for his wife, who has a fever. Kitty desired, imme- 
diately, she might walk over to see the patient ; for 
she could not otherwise tell what to prescribe. — I am 
very glad to see her tread in your steps. Oh, may we 
all love the poor more, and study to help them, and 
not fear the fulfilment of the promise! — I paid J. 
Peters her eight shillings ; and she gets into her little 
house this day. She went away from the parsonage, 
rej oicing. — A parsonage should be a place of refuge — 
a house of mercy. The very sight of it should be 
pleasing to the poor and desolate. Prayer, to be 
helped, and enabled to help the poor, will be an- 
swered ; and such aid, so obtained, is matter of great 
thankfulness. 



LETTER TO A GOD-CHILD. 



365 



TO MISS RILAND. 
MY DEAR PRISCILLA, Yelling, Aug. 5, 1784. 

Next to your honoured and truly affectionate 
parents, no one, I trust, is more interested in your 
welfare than myself. You are the child of two beloved 
friends, who have been fellow-travellers with myself, 
for a great many years, to the same heavenly country ; 
and fellow-soldiers, under the same ever-blessed Cap- 
tain of our salvation. You have been included 
amongst the offspring of the faithful, in all the prayers 
offered up for them, since you were born. You were 
in your earliest infancy baptized in the Name of the 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as a public mark that 
you were born in the family of God ; and at that time 
I became a sponsor for you. To these calls upon me, 
tenderly to regard your best interests, others are 
added — your very amiable deportment, when a visiter 
under my roof, and the pleasure you expressed in 
being one of our family. All these considerations 
unite in engaging me to enter most cheerfully into a 
correspondence with you ; in which you are to regard 
me as your godfather, who is very soon to go hence, 
and is extremely desirous of helping you to guide your 
judgment and your affections, to choose and delight in 
the best things. The more confidence you can place 
in me, the more pleasure I shall receive ; — and be 
assured, the correspondence shall be entirely between 
ourselves, and divulged to no one, without your leave. 

I am chiefly excited to wish for this correspondence, 
on account of the many difficulties and discourage- 
ments which occur to young people who in earnest 
set out to serve and please God — difficulties and 



366 DIFFICULTIES OF YOUNG CHRISTIANS. 

discouragements which afflict and distress for a much 
longer space of time than they would do, if the wisdom 
and experience of Christians, much older than them- 
selves, were consulted. I recollect how many objec- 
tions rose in my mind against several grand truths of 
the Bible ; what hard thoughts I often had of the ways 
of God ; how foolishly I judged many Divine prohi- 
bitions irksome and unnecessary, which are the coun- 
sels of mercy and love. I recollect on how many oc- 
casions I should have gone on in the good ways of the 
Lord, with alertness and assurance of being right, had 
some kind counsellor been at hand ; whereas I was a 
long time in uncertainty, and turned often to the 
wrong path. Many passages of Holy Scripture, which 
I wished to understand, were very dark ; and I wanted 
an interpreter. — Concluding that young people in ge- 
neral are in the same perplexities as I was myself, I 
should be glad to point out the way, and be the means 
of delivering them the sooner from their embarrass- 
ment. 

Our correspondenceshall begin with a few thoughts 
upon a very interesting subject — the love of God 
toward the children of men, expressed in the tender 
language of a Father, and calling upon each of us in 
these words, " Give me thy heart I — Love me su- 
premely ; and every thing you may and ought to love, 
in a subordinate measure ! 39 — But can the high, and 
lofty, and eternal God, indeed make this demand ? 
The distance between a worm and the first Emperor 
in the world is not discernible, compared with the 
distance between man and his adorable Creator. Why, 
then, does He make this demand ? Our righteousness 
cannot profit Him. But a paternal affection for us, a 
desire of our felicity — only to be obtained in giving Him 



THE LOVE OF CHRIST FOR HIS CHURCH. 367 

our poor, corrupted, wicked heart — moved Him to 
call for it. Other objects are deceitful : they promise 
much and perform little : they give pleasures which 
do not satisfy ; and they soon fail. Other objects 
communicate nothing excellent : they make no one the 
better or the wiser, or the more serviceable to their 
fellow-creatures. Other objects debase the spirit of 
man, formed for eternal things ; and make it meanly 
dependent upon what is most uncertain in its nature ; 
and will pierce it through with many sorrows. Other 
objects will not bear the solemn thought of the hour of 
death and the Day of Judgment, though both are abso- 
lutely unavoidable. How superior, then, is the under- 
standing, and how highly favoured the mind, that 
answers to this most condescending demand of our God, 
"Give me thy heart"'. — Take my poor heart, just as 
it is I set up therein Thy throne ! Oh, may I love Thee 
above all, and live for Thee alone ! 

Now, to engage our affections (which a mere de- 
mand of them will by no means do, nor the natural 
perfections of Jehovah), He took upon Himself our 
nature ; and calls Himself the Bridegroom, the Hus- 
band, of His Church and people ; who set His love 
upon them with such an ardour, that He gave Him- 
self (after a life of labour and sorrow) for Her, that, 
freed from condemnation and defilement, she might 
appear a glorious Church for ever in heaven. — If you 
can ponder on this, and believe its reality, there will 
spring up in your heart, my dear Priscilla, the temper 
and affections of an angel, and a pure delight in this 
divine love, and a steadfast desire to please God, and 
an ardent spirit of prayer, saying, " Speak, Lord ! for 
thy servant heareth." And this will be followed 
with living communications of more faith, and love, 



368 HIS SON'S SITUATION AT LITTLE DUNHAM. 

and peace, and hope. And this is the earnest wish 
of my heart, who am 

Your sincere friend, for Christ's sake, 

H. Venn. 

" J ane ! Jane ! what shall I do ? — The letter I was 
afraid of, is come. — I almost wish you had stayed at 
Yelling ! — Now, I must write an answer : and what 
can I say ? — Well, you must write for me ; and tell 
your papa, that to be sure I have a very great respect 
for him, and love him as if he was a relative ; but 
ho w to begin a single letter, much more a correspon- 
dence, it is what I never shall be able to attempt." — 
Jane replies : " Only make the trial : mountains in 
appearance are no more than clouds to the traveller, 
which, in his journey, he passeth through with ease. 
Besides, there is no time fixed for the answer ; and I 
am sure my father will wait till you can freely and 
gladly take up your pen." 

Mrs. V. and Kitty send their love. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, , Yelling, Aug. 12, 1784. 

We have been every • day thinking how busy you 
are, in finding out the fittest places for all your furni- 
ture ; and then, with what surprise and thankfulness 
you survey the plenty of good things you so early in 
life have about you. And then, if it please the good 
Lord to give you life and health, I shall hope to hear 
what I much long for — that you study hard, and 
carefully write your sermons, and pay attention to 
your style ; otherwise, you will get into a careless 
and slovenly way of doing your work. Remember, 
and lay to heart, that the grand temptation, by which 



MINISTERS SHOULD BE PAINS-TAKING. 369 

thousands are vanquished, who set out well, is indo- 
lence and lukewarmness. In every situation there is 
some peculiar snare, to which we are exposed ; and 
all the art and malice of the wicked-one is used to 
take us in that snare. When our hearers are few, 
and those of low degree, without continual watchful- 
ness and prayer we shall certainly grow very remiss, 
and find no heart to take pains for so few. We may 
judge of the force of this temptation, when we see so 
few are able to overcome it. But I pray daily for 
you, my son, that you may be a hard student in the 
Bible, and in the best Commentators — (they are but 
few) — who have written upon it. I would have you 
a hard student ; because it is profitable to be so, on 
every account. Your understanding will be thus 
much enlightened, and your mind enriched ; so that 
your conversation and discourse will be edifying, and 
your preaching be full, and much to the purpose ; and 
the people will be fed, and your ability to instruct 
them be acknowledged ; and God will give the bless- 
ing. You will by study be kept out of temptation, 
and be an example to your flock. The life of a 
pastor in the Church ought to be a life of holy medi- 
tation, study, and doing good; and only so much 
exercise taken, as health requires. I hope also to 
hear that you finish your sermons, and take much 
pains to correct them ; and that you apply, if health 
be restored, to your Hebrew Bible, till you can read a 
chapter with pleasure. Your people and your ser- 
vants will observe how you spend your time. It is 
not enough we are sober, temperate, or kind : we 
must be exemplary all through, unblameable, and un- 
reproveable, before men. 

It is one valuable privilege in our profession, that 

B B 



370 A YOUNG CHRISTIAN IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH. 

we can read and be instructed by the excellent and 
most eminent ministers ever employed in the church, 
whose writings are still in our hands. I can speak 
feelingly on this subject! — This last week has been 
very gloomy, cold, misty weather : we have not had 
one visiter ; but I have enjoyed a feast, in reading 
M. Dailee on the Colossians. What a judicious writer 1 
What a masterly expositor ! The truth, the fulness of 
Christ, are so set forth by him, as to make my heart 
glow ; and I am the better for what I read. 
The Lord love, comfort, and save you ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS VENN. 
MY DEAR ELING, Yelling, Oct. 2, 1784. 

With what pleasure did I hear from your friend at 
Bedford, yesterday, that your health was perfectly 
recovered ! How different is your situation, and dear 
Miss Barham's ! How beautiful does the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ make both ! To see a young lady, 
in the very prime of youth, gradually losing her 
strength and flesh and appetite, and visibly hastening 
to the grave ; yet placid and meek, and well satisfied 
to be weak and to be sickly, and to be just what her 
Lord appoints ; is a striking object, not to be viewed 
by a considerate mind without much profit ! But a 
young woman in health and spirits, surrounded with 
friends, and much beloved by them, still using these 
comforts with moderation and caution — and holding 
them in due subordination to her beloved Lord and 
Saviour — teaches and preaches by her example, power- 
fully, as the sick and dying saint. Indeed, every 



SIN OF INDIFFERENCE TO OTHERS. 371 



branch, vitally united to the True Vine, brings forth 
fruit, and does not cease. I please myself, therefore, 
in the thought, that you, led by the Spirit of Christ, 
make rich improvement of your present lot. Often 
be looking up, and speaking with an humble cordial 
confidence in our Incarnate God: "Make me like 
Thyself, in my manner of life ; as thou wert in pri- 
vate life, before Thou didst appear a preacher in 
Judea ! May I be diligent and useful, watching op- 
portunities to instruct, and speak a word in love to 
perishing souls 1" — If nothing will satisfy, as nothing 
ought, but usefulness, be not afraid : there will not 
be wanting opportunities, more or less. Awkward 
you may and will feel it at first, as we all have : for 
every thing we have to learn is done with difficulty, 
till practice makes us ready at it. Be not therefore 
discouraged. Venture ! — you will never repent— in 
speaking to the poor women, and to your brother's 
maids*. Express your desires, that they may be 
happy. Few but feel any instance of love we shew 
towards them. If, at first, they take it not as they 
ought, our good advice may not be lost. The great 
depravity of man is, indifference to his fellow-crea- 
tures : this is nearly as bad as want of love to God. 
Yet how seldom do books or sermons, or serious 
people, urge with earnestness this point! How many 
thousand prayers did I put up, that I might love God, 
and be delivered from the curse, and from the power 
of sin! How few, that I might love my fellow- 
sinners — not only to have pity for their sufferings, but 
compassion for their souls ! 

* Miss Venn was at this time staying with her brother, at Little 
Dunham. 

B B 2 



372 MR. MADDOCK, OF CREATON. 

All the blessings which flow from Jesus be with 
you and J ohannes ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

Yelling, Oct. 2, 1784. 

1 have just returned, this day, from Creaton, 

a small village in Northamptonshire, where our God 
has been pleased, in a very remarkable manner, to 
make use of Mr. Maddock. Much had been told me, 
by Mr. Scott of Olney, Mr. Newton, and Mr. Robinson, 
of this work. I had a desire, therefore, to go and see 
my old acquaintance, Mr. Maddock. According- 
ly, last Thursday was the day appointed ; when I 
preached twice, to near three hundred people; as 
many as could be crowded together in so small a 
church ; some few also standing without. The eager 
attention of all, their sweet and heavenly looks, and 
the lively singing of the whole congregation, was 
equal to any thing I ever saw. All these have been 
gathered, with twice as many more, by the preaching 
of Mr. Maddock. He began life as an attorney in 
London — was ordained when forty-five years old- 
was Curate at Kettering, and at two other places ; 
but had little success till he came to Creaton, at the 
age of sixty-one. Now he is seventy-two ; and will 
soon enter into rest. There is a beautiful simplicity, 
and much love and kindness, among his people ; and 
no dispu tings, or laying any stress upon matters of 
doubtful disputation. My nephew was there, and an 
attorney of chief practice from Kettering, who has left 
the tent of Socinus and Priestley, to follow Christ and 
adcr2 the Crucified Saviour. Dear Mr. Robinson 



BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS DISSENTERS. 373 

also, from Leicester, twenty-three miles distant, gave 
me the meeting", and Mr. Scott of Olney. ■■ — 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Oct. 16, 1784. 

The melancholy account you send me, of a Dis- 
senting preacher coming amongst your people, is 
certainly a very heavy trial : yet be not discouraged ! 
This is a trial all the pastors of Christ meet with. 
Your conduct is to be the same as theirs has been — to 
warn your people against this device of Satan ; to tell 
them that points of doubtful disputation are never of 
any service, and only work to the hurt of the soul ; 
and in your society*, to desire them to mark how 
much is spoken of the necessity of union — the mis- 
chiefs of disputing and dividing ; and shew them the 
solemn charges given to all, who receive benefit from 
their ministers, to esteem, to obey them, and follow 
their instructions, enforced by the Scripture. When 
we have done this, we have done all, as far as teach- 
ing* and exhortation can go. To this we must add 
our constant prayer and intercession ; and take up our 
cross, after the example of all the Prophets, who 
mourn over the obstinacy of the people in rejecting 
their word. 

In such corners, and amongst so few as you and I 
speak to, our want of success is more sensible, but not 
greater, than in numerous congregations. I feel 
much on this account : but, by the help of God, I will 

* This alludes to a meeeting of a few of the more serious persons 
in his congregation, at his house, on the Sunday evenings, and one 
other evening in the week. 



374 



DAILLEE ON THE COLOSSIANS. 



persevere, till my last breath ; knowing the Lord 
saith to him who is received into His joy, not " Well 
done " successful, but " good and faithful, servant/ 5 
The former epithet has not been applicable to many of 
his dearest ministers : the two latter, to all. Be, 
then, of good cheer, and watch and pray ; and believe 
the hand of the Lord will work in some degree. 
Happy the servant that is found watching ! 

When Mr. C was here, a fortnight since, he 

read a letter from Mr. , the Travelling Fel- 

low, now at Frescati in Italy, relating his great dis- 
tress of soul, under great weakness of body, after a 
relapse into a fever; and expressing his deep com- 
punction for having acted against light ; and desiring 
now to seek for happiness, where alone it can be 
found, in the knowledge and love of J esus Christ, and 
obedience to His will. These last are his own 
words. — I thought it would excite you to pray for 
him. 

I have now gone through Daillee on the Colos- 
sians ; and never was more instructed and entertained. 
But Daillee complains sorely, that Protestants, who 
would die sooner than be at mass, or worship an idol, 
would, alas ! worship gold, and love the world, and be 
dissemblers with God. I was particularly struck 
with his beautiful and just remarks on the case of 
Onesimus ; once, a slave, a thief, a fugitive ; — by the 
grace of God blessing Paul's word, afterward a faith- 
ful brother and pastor in the Church, and an eminent 
light. Here was the triumph of free and sovereign 
grace. Nil desperandum, Christo duce, et auspice 
Christo ! 

I am just going to visit J. G. in a fever. He, I 
trust, is one of the sheep who shall never perish. — 



DANGER OF NEGLECTING PRAYER. 375 

The Lord Jesus be with your spirit! Let us daily 
remember each other ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

P. S. — I have been to see J. G. — One such is worth 
the labour of years ! — humble, well-informed, patient, 
and thankful. — Yet his wife, who has been under 
concern, seems to have lost it all ; and is not affected 
by the inward supports and sweet consolations given 
to her husband. The reason of her receiving no 
good, and her loss of the convictions she had, is 
owing to her neglect of prayer. — If we pray, our souls 
shall prosper : if we trifle, and are idle, and take no 
pains in the use of means, we must perish. Prayer is 
like our food. The natural life is weak, and ready to 
faint, if we eat little, and without appetite ; the 
spiritual life declines, when we have no hearty desire 
to pray, and are not affected with this decay. — " I 
know," she would say, " I cannot give myself a heart 
to pray." No; nor can you do any thing that is 
right ! — But what an answer ! — God tells us, He will 
fulfil the desires of them that call on Him — that every 
thing shall be given to a praying soul; and men 
reply, "We cannot pray." They should speak out, 
and say, " We care not for His blessings ! Let those 
seek them who need them : we do not !" This is 
shockingly impious ; but no more than the truth : and 
the consequence is certain, in the nature of things — 
The proud must be sent empty away, while the hun- 
gry are filled with goods things. Oh, for hunger and 
thirst after righteousness — a constant intense desire 
which shall be satisfied ! 

I lately preached at . The audience was 

very large ; but such inattention to the prayers and 



376 



CONGREGATIONAL DEVOTION. 



worship, that it quite damped me. What miserable 
delusion, to think sermons will profit awakened and 
enlightened people, when they have no heart to call 
upon God, and worship Him in spirit and in truth ! 
Often call upon your people, to pray with importu- 
nity. Nothing short of this will do. H. V. 



I add an extract from another letter, in which the same 
point is urged which occurs in the last paragraph. Indeed, 
no one ever entertained a higher sense of the importance of 
prayer and praise in public worship, or laboured more ear- 
nestly to keep up a devout and attentive spirit in the congre- 
gation. The following extract was written after Mr. Venn 
had been preaching for several weeks to crowded congregations 
in London. 

Oh, that power from on high might be 

vouchsafed in answer to prayer ! Full congregations 
are but poor things, if the arrows which are very 
sharp do not pierce to the heart the king's enemies. 
This, alas ! is seldom the case, compared with what it 
used to be in former times. Prayer is much wanted 
here. I see the people greatly inattentive to the 
worship, and yet hearing with seeming earnestness. 
This will never do ! Worship in spirit and in truth 
must mellow the heart, and dispose it to hear with 
humility, and desire to profit ; otherwise God's Spirit 
is grieved, and withdraws. The preacher may be 
praised, but the soul will not be profited. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF HUDDERSFIELD PARSONAGE. 377 
TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 

MY DEAR JANE, Yelling, October 19, 1784. 

Yesterday we received yours of the 14th. We can 
readily believe you are in too great a hurry to write 
much ; and I would excuse you the trouble, only we 
want to hear of your health, and of the dear friends 
you are with. The very short time allotted for York- 
shire must be a great alloy to your pleasure. We 
shall hope one week more may be gained. 

I thought your mind would be affected, as you 
describe, with the sight of Huddersfield, and the 
comparison of its present state, and your connexion 
with it in your childhood. Such scenes impress on 
us the awful truth, that we, in a transient world, are 
poor, and soon to lose the little we have here, in the 
smiles and loving care of those who are dearest to us. 
Such reflections are distressing to men who have not 
a more enduring substance in the heavenly world. I 
have felt many times, as you have now at Hudders- 
field ; and found relief in the hope of immortality, 
where all the family of Christ shall love each other 
with perfect love, and know no more separation by 
death or absence. 

The old house was a melancholy object to me, 
four years ago. In that dwelling, how many of the 
excellent of the earth have been received! Within 
those walls, how many precious sayings, from the lips 
of the sons and daughters of God, have I heard! 
How many prayers and praises offered up by your 
dear mamma I — now a saint, with the spirits of the 
just made perfect. Within those walls, line upon 
line, precept upon precept, were given, with great 
delight, by your father, to instruct and sanctify your 



378 



NEWS FROM YELLING. 



hearts unto the Lord ; which His own Spirit — adored 
be His Name ! — has made effectual. So, that could 
you have seen and conversed with your beloved mo- 
ther, what mutual joy would you have had ! for your 
hope, and light, and love, your mind and affections, 
are all one with hers. When a few years have taken 
their rapid flight, you will, I doubt not, speak and 
think, and feel, as she does now. This will be a 
change not many degrees greater than you have ex- 
perienced, my dear daughter, in your soul, during the 
space of seventeen years since she left me. 

Now for Yelling news. — Mr. Simeon and Mr. 
Coulthurst have been here together. The latter 
improves every time I see him. Betty Field is dying 
— I trust, in a very good state — with great comfort, 
and a full view, she says, of Christ. — J ohn Gatehouse 
is ill, but happy — a truly meek and humble follower 
of his Lord. Miss M. of Gravely, also, is not ex- 
pected to live. I heard, with joy, from her own lips, 
that the Saviour is precious to her, under all her pain 
and burning heat. How does sickness, and a dying 
bed, demonstrate the wisdom of her choice, in joining 
herself to the Lord, as soon as she heard of Him ! 

Let us remember poor Miss ! she is amiable 

indeed, and very sensible. I have spoken to her, 
with fourteen young people who were confirmed last 
Thursday at St. Neot's : — our servant was among 
them. I spoke to them three evenings ; but I could 
not see any impression on any one, excepting young 

John Alsop. I gave Miss , Doddridge's Rise 

and Progress ; and particularly desired her to consi- 
der the prayers, which are very affecting. However, 
I do not despair. The command to us all, who know 
the Lord, is — " Sow thy seed in the morning; and in 



REMEMBRANCE OF HIS FORMER FLOCK. 379 

the evening slack not thy hand ; for thou canst not 
tell which shall prosper — this, or that." 

We expect Joseph Scott here, to take home his wife, 
who is something better for our air ; — though, at best, 
she enjoys poor health. Her soul prospers ; though 
she laments that her children keep her affections too 
much below. "A sad difference," she one day said, 
" between my state and St. PauFs ! He desired to be 
gone ; and I wish to stay." How few of us ever get 
to that most blessed state — wishing to be gone ! Here 
we have abundant cause to cry out, Lord help our 
unbelief! Lord increase our faith ! 

I direct this to you at Thornhill. Pray give my 
kindest love to them. Tell them I shall never for- 
get the many pleasant hours I have spent with them, 
nor the true and cordial friendship we had in times 
past. I often remember them, when I am praying 
for my friends and fellow-citizens in Christ; and often 
anticipate the day, when we shall fall at the feet of the 
Lamb, adoring the grace in which we share, and by 
which we shall be saved. Remember me to Mr. Pow- 
ley, Mr. Burnet, and at Mold Green. Were I to allow 
myself to choose, I would wish to be near my York- 
shire friends. But choosing for ourselves is not less 
ridiculous in men and women, than it would be in a 
child of three or four years old : our understanding 
and wisdom are no more proportioned to judge what is 
best for us. We are in the hands of a Heavenly Father 
— dear name ! implying all we can need, as a ground 
for cordial confidence that He will certainly order all 
for the best. 

Mark it well, my dear daughter, that we have to do 
with a Father, whose love is as great as his other per- 
fections, towards all his children ! Our Saviour always 



380 GOD A " father" to his people. 

proposes Him, to His people, in that character. He 
does not say, God Almighty knows that you have need 
of all these things, but, " your Heavenly Father." " It 
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the king- 
dom." " When you pray, say, Our Father which art 
in heaven." " How much more shall your Heavenly 
Father give the Holy Ghost" — "give good things to 
them that ask Him ! " The Spirit of His Son is sent 
into the hearts of His people, that they may cry, "Abba, 
Father." — May you, my dear Jane, be more and more 
acquainted with God, as your Father, loving you, and 
delighting to do you good in Christ Jesus. Beg of 
Him a cordial confidence in His mercy, such as shall 
be a healing balm for all your wounds, and lead you 
to recline your weary head in peace, in all sickness, 
pain, and grief. — " My Father, God ! how sweet the 
name ! " This will support, when all below turns its 
back upon us — when either friends are taken away, 
or with unavailing pity behold us in sore affliction. 

Tell me, in your next, how you have been affected 
with the strong and high mountains of Derbyshire. 
Though barren, the idea of grandeur they suggest 
pleases the mind. We are made for grandenr. We 
are to behold it in all its majesty. Oh, may future 
scenes — in the course of our existence, which is here 
in its infancy — be ever before our eyes ! — and an 
abounding hope of glory, ready to be revealed, animate 
our drooping spirits ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRISTMAS. 



381 



TO MRS. RILAND. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan. 4, 1785. 

Many uses are to be made of times and seasons. 
Our dearest friends have then a more particular 
remembrance in our prayers. When the first day of a 
new year dawns, I am called upon to commend them, 
who are very precious to me, to the loving protection 
of my God, at the same time as I givej Him thanks 
for all His loving-kindness towards them in the years 
that are past. 

Thus have I been remembering my dear friend, and 
blessing and praising God for your knowledge, faith, 
and love of Him, which began so many years ago. 
I have been calling to mind our Christmas fare, at 
Huddersfield ; when the name of Jesus made the 
feast, and our souls delighted themselves in fatness ; — 
when the wonders of His grace, and the blessings He 
communicates, were new and surprising to your pre- 
cious soul ; and a joy, spiritual and heavenly, began 
to be known by you. Happy times! the fruit of 
which we shall enjoy, together with dear Mr. Riland, 
in the world of glory. 

What will you think, when I tell you, that last 
Christmas-day, in my cold church, and my few sheep 
around me, I had a most delightful season ; and think 
I was never more helped in preaching in my life, and 
the people all listening, while " God manifest in the 
flesh 33 was my subject. This great mystery is the 
centre of all the truths ; and itself a fountain of light, 
like the sun. Concerning this article it is, that we 
may well cry out, " Blessed is the people that know 
the joyful sound I" This is precisely the sound : "Unto 
us a Child is born ; unto us a Son is given ; who is 
Christ the Lord ! 33 



382 



THE 119TH PSALM. 



How is your health? — When am I to see your 
hand-writing ? It seems an age since your last letter. 
— I have been out nowhere, but to see a few sick 
people, this month : — not once on horseback. Yet, 
blessed be God ! I have my health well ; and twice a 
week our kitchen is full of the people. I am now 
upon the point of expounding to them the 119 th 
Psalm, which I never did go through; yet I know not 
any part of Scripture much more profitable. In that 
Psalm, the whole inner man is delineated; and the 
several changing frames of our poor hearts, and the 
several blessed motions and inspirations of the Holy 
Spirit, are touched in a very affecting manner. This 
is the Psalm I have often had recourse to, when I 
could find no spirit of prayer in my own heart ; — and 
at length the fire was kindled, and I could pray. 
What has been your experience regarding this extra- 
ordinary Psalm ? I know you do not read the Scrip- 
ture idly, and without self- application. Have you not 
found it pleasant and nourishing to your soul, and 
fastening upon your mind ?— -All love, and all peace, 
to you and yours ! A happy new year ! 

From your affectionate pastor, 

H. Venn . 

TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 

Yelling, March 1 9, 1 785. 
I know my dear Jane and her friends will be glad 
to hear from Yelling : and having to write to Mr. 
Thornton, I take the opportunity of getting the letter 
franked. 

Last Sunday, I finished a course of threescore years : 
and I had much to humble me to the dust — that I had 



CHRISTMAS SERMON AT YELLING. 



383 



sinned in childhood, youth, and riper years, against 
the glorious God ; — much to excite wonder, and love 
to His name, who never ceased to do me good, to deal 
bountifully with me, and even to bless me with special 
mercies. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, with their daughter, 
were with us. 

My subject was, that striking character of Chris- 
tians, " We look not at the things which are seen 
which are the natural, constant objects of pursuit, and 
deemed the means of happiness ; " but at the things 
which are not seen " — God and his Christ, the re- 
demption He hath obtained, the spiritual blessings He 
bestows, and the " house not made with hands, eternal 
in the heavens." 

The things seen are low and poor, only to sustain 
the body and natural life ; — can never raise, exalt, and 
enlarge the mind, or make it wiser and better. 

The things unseen are high and noble ; such as 
angels, and the whole company of heaven, contem- 
plate : they enlarge and purify the mind — they inspire 
purposes and intentions grand and pleasing to God, 
transforming our minds from earthly to heavenly — are 
rich, and full : all, possessed of them, say so. By the 
knowledge of things unseen, the conscience is purified, 
the mind at rest, the heart rejoiced ; — so full the con- 
tentment, that our Saviour, commending the choice of 
Christians, saith, " He that drinketh of the water that 
I shall give him, shall never thirst" — after any thing 
beneath holiness and heaven ! 

The things seen are uncertain. — No one can tell 
how long a man and his possessions shall stay together ; 
or whether he shall be taken from all he holds, or lose 
them. The first, and chief, in our towns and cities, 
often sink down to poverty ; and, in the course of a few 



384 THINGS SEEN AND UNSEEN, CONTRASTED. 

years, the same person is the general envy, and the 
object of compassion. There needs nothing more than 
a tempest at sea, a dreadful fire, or a great bankruptcy, 
to overturn the pile and fabric of wealth and opulence. 
Gold, houses, lands, we see continually changing 
masters ; and even the lawful objects of a subordinate 
affection and love, from whence a great share of com- 
fort is enjoyed, are no less uncertain. A pleasant child, 
an affectionate endearing wife, or husband — a friend 
steadfast and warm, as Jonathan to David — all these 
things are but like beauteous flowers in the garden : 
they soon fade, they wither, and " are not." 

Things not seen — if once your own, are so for ever. 
They are above this world's whirling sphere, in the 
hand of God, and, like Him, unchangeable. These 
are His gifts, which He preserves — they are secured 
by oaths, and promises, and blood. Whether we 
are caressed in the circle of our friends, or despised 
and slandered by our foes — whether we bloom in 
health, or languish and decay — whether we abound, 
or are in want, this treasure is the same. All tem- 
poral advantages add not the weight of a grain to it ; 
and the fiercest attacks on our character or substance, 
or even on our bodies, cannot diminish it. 

Things seen, are temporal The revolution of a 
few years exhausts them. All here soon ends. But 
the things not seen, are eternal. Eternity of know- 
ledge, love, and holiness! eternity, added to every 
thing we enjoy! this swallows up all thought, and 
can only be understood when we enter into our 
" house not made with hands." 

Such was the substance of a birth-day discourse of 
one who, forty years ago, was, alas ! as ignorant and 
blind to all things not seen, as " the horse or mule, 



DEATH OF MR. HOUGHTON^ DAUGHTER. 385 

which have no understanding." Mr. Atkinson said 
he had a happy day : it brought old times to remem- 
brance. From his hand I received the following « 
account from Mr. John Houghton: — " I do not find a 
spirit of murmuring or dissatisfaction at the stroke of 
Divine Providence, in bereaving me of one of the 
most promising and affectionate children — a daughter, 
in her sixteenth year. No : I have ever had cause to 
bless the abounding grace and mercy, towards her 
and myself, in that dispensation. The Lord heard 
my petitions, and answered them to the full : yea. He 
abundantly exceeded all my expectations, in opening 
her heart, in giving her to lament over the vanity of 
her mind, and her neglect in not improving the 
means of grace ; and then to rest her eternal concerns 
on the salvation that is in Christ, in such a manner as 
gave her a calm composure in the prospect of death. 
Several passages of Scripture were a stay to her 
mind; especially that, 'Come unto me, all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden ! and I will give you rest/ 
She repeated it a few hours before she died : and to 
such a departure I was never witness. She longed to 
be with Christ. She took leave of us, with many 
thanks for all our attention to her, and with prayer 
for the presence of the Lord with us ; and having re- 
peated the word ' salvation/ she fell asleep/ 3 

What a most honourable office is that of a minister, 
who is an instrument, by preaching Christ, of pro- 
ducing such fruit! Such a happy change, Christ 
Crucified, known, and believed in, will surely effect ! 
— A fortnight since, I had a most pleasing encourage- 
ment in Mr. Bennet. Extremely afflicted with illness, 
and unable to attend his business, tortured all the 
night for weeks — I found him not only quite patient 
c c 



386 YOUNG MEN FROM CAMBRIDGE. 

and resigned, but thankful for the chastisement — full 
of peace and Divine knowledge. He told me he had 
a fear of offending God even at six years old, and 
always was preserved from presumptuous offences. 
" But grossly ignorant, and dark, was 1" said he, " and 
knew nothing of Christ, till I had heard you for more 
than a year. — About my children, I am perfectly easy. 
I only beg for them the grace of God." 

Could I afford it, I should give you a peep at Bir- 
mingham ; for I am engaged to preach at Leicester 
the Sunday after Easter : but I am obliged to be as 
frugal as possible. Nevertheless, do not you want 
any thing necessary. Make your dear friend your 
banker : I will repay it. I have received my ap- 
pointment to preach the Visitation Sermon, on the 12th 
of May. — Your mamma, and Kitty, send their love. 
We all want to see you. — The Lord love you ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

Yelling, MayW, 1785. 

1 have had comfort in the answer of my prayer 

for usefulness. God generally stirs up a desire for 
the blessing, before He gives it ; that it may be the 
more noticed, and with true thankfulness. Within 
these five months, my church is fuller — scarcely one 
in it drowsy. And I have more young students who 
visit me from Cambridge, and seem to be going on 
well. How they may stand Jire, when their main- 
tenance is at stake, or preferment — that bewitching 
thing! — must be sacrificed in appearance, who can 
say ? However, the young tree is beautiful in blossom, 
though the blossom never come to proper fruit. I 
have one, now in the house, who has stood his ground 



VISITATION SERMON AT HUNTINGDON. 387 

well ; and though confessedly one of the first Tutors 
in the University, he is humble as a child, and comes 
to hear from an aged servant some good of our dear 
Lord. The Master of his College is not Only a con- 
firmed, but a most active and daring Socinian. I 
feared much he would destroy my dear friend by his 
subtlety ; but there is no cause now to fear. 

On Thursday, I preached a Visitation Sermon at 
Huntingdon — to a very numerous audience, for that 
town. I am going to print the sermon, at the desire 
of some of the clergy, intitled, " Plain Proofs of the 
Scripture Character of Christ ; and of the great prac- 
tical benefits of believing in Him, as described in 
Scripture ; and of the pernicious consequences which 
unavoidably follow from controverting and denying- 
his Deitv."- 

H.V. 

Much was said, pro and con., about my Visita- 
tion Sermon ; and the whole town was divided — a 
few on my side, and the many against me ; — a few 
glad to hear so peremptory a condemnation of the ad- 
versaries of our Lord — more offended at my bigotry 
and uncharitable zeal, in passing sentence on good 
men, who only deny the virtue of Christ's blood and 
intercession ! However, I am much indebted to my 
Lord and my God, that I was quite free from all re- 
straint, and spoke to the clergy, with the same con- 
sciousness of the certainty of the doctrine, as I do to 
my own poor people. 

— I preached one hour and eight minutes ; but no 
one seemed tired. Several came from Cambridge ; 
and a Master of one of the Colleges.- 



c c 2 



388 



CHEERFULNESS UNDER ILLNESS. 



TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, Aug. 1, 1785. 

Yesterday, my dear friend, your letter, which came 
to Caxton, was brought to my daughter. Imme- 
diately, many tender feelings for you were strongly 
excited in all our hearts: we entered into your 
sorrows, fears, and distress ; and into your thankful- 
ness and joy for the preservation of your dear Priscilla. 
Give our kindest love to her ; and tell her we shall 
all be glad to pay every attention to her. Our air, we 
trust, will be balmy and restorative; and as young- 
people very soon recover after illness, it will be the 
best physic, to change air, and come by gentle stages 
hither. You will want air and quietness, no less than 
dear Priscilla and J ohn : we therefore promise our- 
selves the pleasure of hearing very soon that you 
have fixed the time for your journey. 

How very uncertain are all our enjoyments here ! 
Last month, I was delighted with the prospect of 
preaching often in several different places, as I so 
well bore the fatigue of preaching in town ; and last 
week I was to have begun. A few days before, one 
of my legs swelled, from relaxation — by over-exertion, 
as my surgeon thinks. I am confined therefore to my 
couch ; and am told, I must not expect a cure before 
many weeks are passed. My lot is wonderfully 
gracious ! I feel but little pain ; and have the most 
tender attention from a dear wife, children, and ser- 
vants. And when you come, all my comforts will be 
increased ; and you may be sure of my company. 

Kitty is with our friends in London ; and Dr. L. 
has prescribed for her the most pleasant prescription ; 
— which is, to take all the pleasure she can ; to speak 
to twenty-five people every day ; and trouble herself 



CHEERFULNESS UNDER ILLNESS. 389 

about nothing. ' ' Is he not the cleverest of all physi- 
cians ? " Kitty asks. 

What a new face the earth wears ! Abundant 
showers have swelled the grain, and produced much 
grass and fodder for the cattle; and removed the 
melancholy fears of many, too apt to prophesy evil. 
— Mr. and Mrs. Saunderson left us, after spending 
one week. We were much pleased with them. — I am 
sorry to learn, from Jane, that any of the people are 
to have a vote in choosing your curate. This will 
introduce confusion, and make the curate conclude 
himself not dependent on Mr. Riland. Much trouble 
I foresee arising from this mode. 

We all send our love to Mr. Riland, yourself, and 
all your branches. I am perfectly cheerful, and 
reckon myself as a preacher, twice every day ; — for 
the Lord I serve, taketh the will for the deed ; and 
my will, He knoweth, is to do as much. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



In a letter written to another friend, he describes his 
situation in the following terms : — 

I am as happy as I could wish : because I have 
not one single desire to have my complaint less, or 
shorter, than it pleases my God. Many advantages 
I enjoy from being laid aside. I have much time to 
think of my dear friends, and remember them more 
fully before the Throne of Grace; and to dwell 
on the delightful, never-fading joys we shall share, 
when light and knowledge and love shall all be 



390 



MRS. LEFEVRE'S LETTERS. 



perfected — when every cause of separation and divi- 
sion shall utterly cease, and self be swallowed up 
in a perfect union with our God. 

TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Yelling, Sept. 26, 1785. 

Two days since, after searching" in vain for a copy 
of Mrs. Lefevre's, my dear Christian friend's, letters, 
I was going* to tell you of my disappointment ; but 
yesterday I was so happy as to find one, which shall 
be sent, in a week or two, to your house. There is a 
most fervent strain of divine love in her letters : all 
is genuine, as I can well attest : yet I must caution 
my much honoured and esteemed friend against the 
mistake in them that is sometimes very apparent ; 
namely, the idea that we can arrive at perfection 
below, and be without fault, and out of the hospital, 
before we are out of the flesh. The dying saint, you 
must remember, in the last letter but one she ever 
wrote — (it was to myself) — wrote thus : — 

" I, all sin and misery — the Saviour, all tenderness 
and mercy — no sting remaining — no clog upon my 
chariot-wheels." See Mrs. Lefevre's Letters, p. 74, 
four lines from the bottom.* 

Oh, may the Teacher infallible, by His own word 
and Spirit, keep us from extremes ! And may we 
know when we are right, and give God the glory, by 
exhibiting a constancy and steadfastness in a truly 
Christian life — which will yet ever be an imperfect 
one ! Some better thing than we can know below 

* " Mrs. Lefevre's Letters " have been lately re-published by 
J. F. Shaw, 27 Southampton Row, London. The passage quoted 
above Occurs at page 86 of the new edition. 



LADY GLENORCHY. 



391 



is reserved for us above. Upwards may we ever 
tend, and be more and more spiritual and useful ! 
but we must wait, and tarry, God's leisure. How 
slow is the growth of the babe, to be a man of ser- 
vice to his fellow-creatures ! how limited and scanty 
his services, at the best! It is the same in the 
Church : and though we know not now, we shall 
know hereafter, why the longings of the new creature 
in Christ J esus, to be without fault, are so strong, yet 
not to be satisfied till mortality is swallowed up of life. 

I had the honour of a visit from your full-sister in 
the Lord — Lady Glenorchy. She spent a Sabbath 
with me, and slept under my roof ; — and — shall I tell 
you ? — to my surprise, is, like yourself, not a little 
troubled with fear, lest she should prove but as coun- 
terfeit at last : — at the same time, her body, soul, and 
spirit, are consecrated, with all she hath, to the 
Lord. She grudges whatever she spends upon her- 
self ; and many hundred souls, who were " ready to 
perish," have been saved by the preachers she has 
sent to them. I spoke in nearly the same terms to 
her as I did to your Ladyship. Oh, that you may 
both walk in the light of God's countenance, and 
daily rejoice in His name ! May the voice from 
Heaven speak to your inmost soul, and say, " Fear 
not ! I will save you V 3 

These lines, I suppose, will find your Ladyship at 
the Wells, or at Bath. May the one inseparable and 
all-sufficient Friend be with your spirit ! and then the 
pastors He sends will be more profitable ; or, if none 
are sent to you, your soul will still prosper, and be in 
health. 

From your Ladyship's much-indebted servant, 

H. Venn. 



392 



mr. venn's family at yelling. 



About this time, Mr. Richard Venn, having retired from 
business in London, came to reside with his brother at Yel- 
ling. The event is thus noticed in a letter to Mr. John 
Venn. 



Yelling, Oct 15, 1785. 

Your uncle is now come to take up his 

abode with us, for the short remainder of his days* 
We meet now, eleven, at family prayer, Oh, that 
the Spirit of grace and supplication may be poured 
out upon us ! I am more and more convinced, that 
all the difference between those who bring forth no 
fruit, and those who do, depends upon the different 
manner in which they hear, and read, and pray. 
What violence must we do to ourselves, in order to 
be earnest, steadfast, and persevering, in fighting 
against our enemies ! Pray for me, as I do for you, 
that we may be able to pray fervently in secret, in 
the company of the faithful, and in the congrega- 
tion. 

TO THE REV. M. POWLEY. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Oct. 26, 1785. 

I was glad to see your hand- writing ; and return 
you hearty thanks for your kind inquiry after me, and 
concern for my complaint. It is, beyond expecta- 
tion, abated : yet I have not strength to work accord- 
ing to my desire ; nor have I any prospect of being 
ever able to do more than the Sunday duty in my 
own little church. However, the Lord knoweth our 
hearts; and, where there is a willing mind, He 
accepteth the will for the deed. 



FEELS THE APPROACH OF OLD AGE. 393 

Report always enlarges matters. I cannot say 
I was so muck favoured in my trial as to be longing 
and panting to be gone ; but I was kept in perfect 
peace, and without any will of my own, or any desire 
but this — that I might not dishonour the cause, nor 
shew, by a peevish expression, or a look of impa- 
tience, an ignorance of my own demerit, or a forget- 
fulness of the dying love of my God and Saviour : for 
shall such as we are, who speak continually in the 
congregation such great things of our God and our 
Rock, not rejoice in suffering His will ? When 
friends, and enemies too, will be sure to inquire 
whether we practise what we preach, shall the one be 
cast down, and the other be hardened, by our beha- 
viour in the time of peculiar trial ? 

It rejoiced me much, to hear how greatly you are 
enabled to bear your heavy cross, in your dear wife's 
very ill health. What abundant cause have we to 
say, " Who is a God like ours, doing wonders for the 
children of men V 

Continue to remember me, my dear friend, now 
I am old and grey-headed. My faculties and my 
affections were never lively, as they ought to be, in 
matters of a spiritual nature ; but, chilled by age, 
I feel them already less so than before. I can nei- 
ther think, nor preach, nor pray, as I have done in 
time past. Blessed be God ! my trust is in the blood 
and righteousness of Christ — in His promises and 
covenant ; and all is well ! Now, in a very few 
years, we shall meet in the world " where the Lamb 
receives the honour due unto His name," and where 
all agree and conspire to help each other to love and 
praise. 

My son goes on well ; and * is so strict a resident, 



394 NONE EVER REPENTED OF SERVING CHRIST. 

that I have not had his company, for more than a 
fortnight, this year and four months. I expect him 
to visit us next week. Dear Mr. Riland, and his 
wife and son, left us only one hour ago. What a 
man of God is he ! How high in glory shall we soon 
see him ! — His visit has done me good. 

From your indebted and affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 

Yelling, Nov. 14, 1785. 

Our house has been, for eight weeks past, 

full of guests — Mrs. Riland and two children, three 
daughters of my own, and my brother Richard ; and, 
added to these, some visiters ; — so that our solitude 
gives place to society. Cheerfulness, with sweet 
discourse on things whiqh are the honour of man, 
and the chief token of God's love to him, make our 
time pass very swiftly. Presently, the scene will 
change. 

The Sunday before last, Mrs. V. and my three 
daughters received, from the hands of myself and my 
son, at the Lord's Table, the memorial of His precious 
death. It was a solemn time — probably never to 
return. There, I trust, we were united in one faith, 
one hope, and one Lord ; and afresh surrendered 
ourselves to His service, without reserve — chose Him 
as our portion, and committed into His hands our 
immortal souls. — Who ever repented of doing so? 
Would not the language sound prodigious and horrid, 
if any man, at any time or place, in any situation 
whatever, should have said, "What a fool have I 
been, for serving Christ so much — for governing 



MARRIAGE OF MISS VENN. 



395 



myself so much by His commands — for taking so 
much pains to save my soul I" This simple evidence, 
then, is decisive and complete in favour of the true 
Christian's choice : for if the wisdom of his choice 
were not founded in the unalterable nature of things, 
it could not fail but some or other, amidst the mil- 
lions who have made that choice, must have repented, 
and expressed their disappointment or mistake. Let 
us therefore, my dear nephew, be more and more 
earnest in the service of our God — doing all with 
singleness of eye to please Him ; and feel more and 
more how slight and transient is our connexion with 
the objects of sense — how strong and permanent our 
connexion with spiritual things. 

We often talk of you and yours, and should enjoy 
your company with us. It has pleased God now to 
remove my complaint ; but I find an inward weak- 
ness when I preach, which indicates the tabernacle of 
clay has not long to stand. Would to God I could 
always feel as a dying creature should, and be on the 
wing for heaven. 

The Lord bless you and yours ! 

I remain yours, in the best bonds, 

H. Venn. 



On the 20th December, 1785, Mr. Venn's eldest daughter 
was united in marriage to Mr. Elliott. Miss Jane Venn 
was staying with Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, on a visit, when the 
following letter was written to her. 



396 



ANTICIPATION OF HEAVEN. 



TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 
MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Yelling, Dec. 27, 1785. 

— An infinite preference of what God delights 

in, and creates in His own children, is the mark of a 
sound mind, the source of pure satisfaction, and of 
pleasure never fading. A great part of our warfare 
is, to overcome our natural propensity — of seeking 
happiness in meats and drinks, in dress and show ; 
which only nourish our disease, and keep us from 
communion with God, as our chief good. More than 
thirty-seven years since, He was pleased, in His 
adorable mercy, to give me a demonstration that all 
was vanity and vexation of spirit, but Himself. From 
that hour, (such is the energy of Divine teaching !) 
rising up and lying down, going out and coming in, 
I felt this truth. I began and continued to seek the 
Lord and His strength, and His face evermore. I 
then was led to know how the poverty and emptiness 
of all terrestrial good could be well supplied from the 
fulness of our adorable Jesus. And, oh ! how un- 
speakably blessed am I, that I see my children im- 
pressed with the same precious and invaluable feelings ! 
and that I hope (though a very few years will finish 
my life on earth), upon the best grounds, that we 
shall enjoy an eternity together in glory ! — when you 
shall know your father — not the poor, polluted, hasty, 
sinful creature he now is — but holy, " without spot, or 
wrinkle, or any such thing and when I shall know 
my » dear children, not as emerging from a sea of 
corruption, and struggling against the law in their 
members warring against the law in their minds, and 
needing such frequent intimations to do what is right; 
but when, naturally and constantly, all within and 



ANTICIPATION OF HEAVEN. 



397 



without will be perfectly holy. Oh, what a meeting 
will that be, when all my prayers for your precious 
souls, ever since you were born — when all my poor, 
yet well-meant instructions and lessons from the 
Word of God, and all your own petitions, shall be 
fully answered ; and we shall dwell in a perfect union 
together, inconceivable on earth, in the love of 
God for ever and ever ! Such sensations I enjoy, in 
these views, as give me a foretaste of heaven — such 
sensations as compel me to break forth in fervent 
prayer — 

Oh, that all may seek and find 

Every good in Jesus join'd ! 
Him may all our souls adore, 

Love Him, praise Him, evermore ! 

Let this spiritual good be what you seek after, more 
and more. By no means rest satisfied with the com- 
munications with which you have been favoured ; 
but plead them — as I do, after no less an example 
than that of Moses — for much greater. He prayed, 
44 Lord ! thou hast begun to shew me thy greatness 
and thy glory ! 99 and then desired brighter disco- • 
veries. 

We all send our most cordial love to our son and 
daughter. Tell my son, I shall hope to hear from 
him, before it is long. I daily remember him ; beg- 
ging of the Lord, that, after all his employments are 
over, he may be enabled to come into the presence 
of the Lord, and bow before the Throne of Grace, 
with a contrite spirit, and a soul longing after God, 
and the salvation of his wife, his mother, his children, 
and all his near relations. 

To God our Saviour I commend you all ! 

H. Venn. 



398 EARTHLY CONNECTIONS PERPETUATED ABOVE. 



TO MR. CHARLES ELLIOTT. 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Jan. 24, 1786. 

Many thanks for your long letter ! We all join in 
congratulating you that the ceremonious visits are 
done, and your purgatory and penance are over. 
Strange and absurd is the way of men, to consume 
so much time with people who care not for them ; 
and not to select a few, whose spirit, taste, and pur- 
suits, being quite congenial with their own, the inti- 
macy would be pleasing and profitable : but for 
serious Christians to fall into this practice, is lament- 
able inconsistency with their great business. Their 
time is wanted (all they can spare from necessary 
secular employment) to gain more knowledge of 
the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of their 
God — more bright evidences of their union with Him, 
and more likeness to Him ; which cannot be, if time 
is not well husbanded, and companions well chosen. 

We feel wishes, as you do, were it lawful to give 
them place, that we might pass our time together 
here ; but, in wisdom and mercy, our Lord and 
Saviour will have it otherwise. Probably, we should 
be less in prayer, and less fervent, were we not 
separate. Occasional visits, being short, have a ten- 
dency to raise our desires intensely to that better 
country, where all the endearments of Christian love, 
between husband and wife, parents and children, 
brothers and sisters, flourish in perfection ; and, con- 
trasted with the transient interviews below, the per- 
manent eternal abode together in the regions of bliss 
will be inconceivably sweeter : for I am fully per- 
suaded, from Scriptural warrant, that all the persons 
we are particularly interested in, while in the body, 



HEAVEN A SCENE OF ACTIVITY AND USEFULNESS. 399 

and closely connected with — all who have been the 
constant witnesses of our example, and either edified 
or infected by it — all such will be eternal witnesses to 
us, and we to them, that we are adjudged according 
to our works. The full tide of love, for ever flowing 
and circulating through all the company of heaven, is 
founded, maintained, and increased, first, in and by 
the love of God to them all ; then, by the recollec- 
tion of offices of love which were done on earth, 
which will be repeated in heaven with all alacrity. 
The angels, who minister to the heirs of salvation, 
have all their desires fulfilled respecting them, when 
they have brought them into Abraham's bosom : and 
those heirs love them for their services. Evangelists 
and pastors love the sheep called by their preaching ; 
and those chosen souls behold with rapture in heaven 
the men of God to whom they owe themselves. And 
this ground of mutual love increases from the life in 
heaven ; which certainly is inconceivably active and 
useful, while gratitude, and every generous sensibi- 
lity which perfect souls possess, reign there. With 
steadfast expectation of our eternal abode there, I at 
large remember yourself and my daughter, day by 
day. I am never out of your company. " Faith, the 
evidence of things not seen," makes you and Eling, 
and all my children, present with me. We are travelling 
on to God ; looking out for the coming of the Lord. 

We all unite in love to dear E. — Mrs. V. holds 
up charmingly. — I have begun again to have the 
people one night in the week : near fifty come. Oh, 
that Jesus our Lord would win their hearts ! 

The best blessings rest upon you ! 

From your affectionate father, and servant in Christ, 

II. Venn. 



400 TEACHING RELIGION TO CHILDREN. 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 

MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan. 25, 1786. 

I thank you heartily for your kind wishes respect- 
ing my daughter, who took the name of Elliott the 
20th of last month. I am filled with admiration at 
the good and gracious providence. Such are her 
husband's profitable conversation, amiable manners, 
and fervent prayers, that, instead of losing an in- 
structor or pattern of good works, in going from her 
father's house, her change is much for the better, 
respecting both. 

I am glad you are going to the press, in your own 
name. May our Lord give you the desire of your 
heart ! And where you cannot come to speak, and 
when you are dead, may you speak to the purpose, 
in your Catechism ! 

God be gracious (I can say from my heart) to 
your precious little branch ! May you be taught of 
God to bring him up wisely ! The great danger is, 
from surfeiting a child with religious doctrines, or 
over-much talk. Doctrines, they are too young to 
understand; and too frequent talking to them is 
wearisome to them. Too many parents greatly err, 
in expecting the religion of a child should be nearly 
the same as their own. Much have I thought on the 
subject ; and much pains, indeed, have I taken with 
my children ; and, God knoweth, desiring this one 
thing^that He would give them the knowledge and 
love of His ever-blessed name. But I did not give 
them formal instructions till they were eight years 
old ; and then, chiefly set before them the striking 
facts in the Old Testament, or the miracles in the 
New ; and laboured much to set before them the 



DR. ISAAC MILNER. 



401 



goodness of our God, in things they could under- 
stand — in inclining- my heart to love them — in all the 
comforts we enjoyed together. And, watching pro- 
vidential occurrences, I made use of them, to give a 
body and substance to spiritual truth. One method, 
I remember, used to affect them much, which I was 
careful to improve — carrying them to see an afflicted 
Child of God, rejoicing in tribulation, and speaking of 
His love. To this day, they tell me of one and another 
whom they saw happy, though poor and in pain. 

My son has been blessed in his work, and is very 
much favoured in his situation. Mr. and Mrs. Parry, 
who brought him there, treat him as a brother ; and 
keeping very little company in the country, they are 
much together : this, as he is quite alone, we are very 
thankful for. 

Last month, I preached in Cambridge, after an 
interval of thirty-seven years. I exchanged with my 
friend Simeon. Many gownsmen, and some Masters 
of Arts, were present. I read my sermon, on 1 Sam. 
ii. 25. 

I also went over to hear Mr. Isaac Milner keep 
his Divinity Act. His subject was, ' Justification by 
Faith only:' — his Thesis admirable; taken in sub- 
stance from Jonathan Edwards. He did well. The 
Schools were crowded, more ithan ever was seen, of 
late years ; and, no doubt, good will come from men 
of the first-rate abilities holding out to notice Divine 
Truth. May he preach and live as a minister of 
Christ ! — You will say, Amen ! 

Mrs. Venn joins me in best respects to Mrs. Stil- 
lingfleet. Pray for an aged minister. 

Fours, in Christian love, 

H. Venn. 

D D 



402 



A BIRTH-DAY ADDRESS. 



TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 

Yelling, Feb. 22, 1786. 

Never, my dear daughter, did I remember, with 
more solemnity, a 7th of February, than I did the 
last. Before the day dawned, I lifted up my soul 
to God ; and then, in the family, we implored Him 
to guard, guide, and bless you and yours. Your 
birth-day led me to serious meditation on the present 
state of your existence, compared with that you 
will, I trust, enjoy in eternity. An inspired writer 
states the difference in four remarkable particulars ; 
which I shall choose for my subject, in addressing 
you on your birth-day. 

You made your appearance in this world, clothed 
in a body sown in corruption, composed of so many 
frail and perishable parts, that no care or medicine 
can prevent its continual tendency to decay, and, 
after a few years, its total dissolution, when not 
one part shall remain joined to another. This 
your body shall be raised again in incorrwption, 
firmer than the strong mountains, more durable 
than the sun : millions of ages shall pass without 
making the least impression, to impair it. 

The body, which is now your appointed taber- 
nacle, is sown in dishonour ; brought forth, not with 
smiles, with joy and gladness, in comfort to mother 
and child, but in pain and sorrow, in tears, and 
under various marks of the righteous penalty in- 
flicted for the great offence : the child is, of neces- 
sity, subject to pains and diseases, which disfigure 
and emaciate its form. By and bye, it waxes old 
and deformed, as a moth-eaten garment ; stoops, 
and totters ; till it becomes, at last, ghastly to the 



OF THE NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL BODY. 403 



view, and, like a thing most dishonourable, must be 
sunk in the earth. This same body you are to re- 
ceive, raised in glory, fashioned exactly after the 
pattern of the Saviour on Mount Tabor, when His 
face shone as the sun in his strength — every limb 
more radiant than the brightest gem in a monarches 
crown. The glory of your body shall excite and 
command admiration of so noble a work of God, 
from all saints and angels, evermore. 

The body you now have is sown in iveakness : it 
must be watched and tended, continually to be 
safe; — in weakness, not only during infancy, but 
always exposed to falls, and bruises, and broken 
limbs ; — in weakness, so as to tire with employment ; 
and, unless its springs, like those of a clock, be 
wound up every night by sleep, good for nothing : — - 
in weakness, soon reduced, by disease, to lie upon 
a bed, not able to help itself ; and then placed in 
the tomb, where it soon becomes the prey of worms. 
This, your body, shall be raised in power, strong and 
mighty ; never subject to weariness ; swift to move, 
as with eagle's wings ; in no more need of dull sleep, 
the image of death, to recruit its strength ; — in 
power, to persevere, without intermission, in the 
great services to which it shall be appointed ; and able 
to bear " an exceeding and eternal weight of glory/' 
a very small part of which would sink the body of 
flesh into a swoon and fear, great as was seen in the 
beloved disciple, who fell as dead at the feet of 
Jesus. 

Your body was sown a natural body — at your 
birth, to be sustained, like all other animals, by the 
fruits of the earth, and by the elements ; fashioned 
to relish nothing higher than what can be seen 



404 OF THE NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL BODY. 

by the eye of flesh, and handled with the hands ; 
so that its joys and griefs, fears and hopes, and all 
its sensations, are low, and like the brutes*. But it 
shall be raised up a spiritual body, i. e. one every 
way accomplished to see, admire, and delight in 
spiritual objects and exercises ; — no more a hin- 
drance and clog to the glorified soul^ but an aid 
and help, sinless in all its tendencies — all eye, all 
ear, all sense, respecting the visible works of God ; 
and an excellent medium of conveying still greater 
bliss to the soul than it would know without the 
body; otherwise it would not be re-united to its 
former inmate. 

The inhabitants of such an incorruptible glorious 
body, mighty and spiritual, I hope to see my sons and 
daughters ; and, in such infinite dignity, dwell with 
the Lord our God, who hath formed us for Himself, 
for ever. May this our future eternal existence 
be ever before our eyes, realized to our minds, and 
the desire of our hearts ! Amen ! and Amen ! 

Accept love from us all, to yourself, and my son 
and Jane. My plan is, to come alone, on April 20th 
or 21st, toy out your mamma and uncle to follow. 
I believe (as my son is so very kind as to offer me 
a stable) I shall come on horseback, as riding is of 
so much service. I am going with this to Caxton, 
where I expect a letter from you. K. is very poorly, 
and grows much thinner. I feel much, and pray 
for her. Were she well, I should have no cross, 
but the plague of my own heart. Such a state we 
must not expect here. What thankfulness should 
fill our hearts for such an open winter ! The cattle 
must have perished, if deep snow and hard frost 
had continued. I did not mention what a good 



PAROCHIAL INTELLIGENCE. 



405 



Sacrament our last was — forty-six communicants! 

and the time solemn. Mrs. J told me she never 

desired so much to live, as she does now to die. 
" Oh/ 5 she said, " Sir, I would not part with my 
portion in Christ for a king's ransom ! I tell my 
husband I shall presently leave him ; and that if he 
do not cleave to the Lord, he will soon be a poor 
creature." — An evident simplicity, and godly sin- 
cerity, give weight to her words, and comfort to 
my heart. Poor Mr. looks guilty and mise- 
rable : alas ! he is ruining his wife and family, and 
his own soul, by the company he keeps. It grieved 
me to see him and his wife here. She, poor woman ! 
I hope, will be upheld. — The Lord Jesus be with 
your spirit; and unite us both, and all of us, with 
you, in life for evermore ! 

From vour affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



During the months of May and June, 1786, Mr. Venn 
visited London for a few weeks, and preached each Sunday 
at Surrey Chapel. The following extracts refer to this 
visit : — 



I have crowded audiences. Many of the 

clergy are generally present. The Sub-dean of the 
Chapel Royal was there last Sunday, and came into 
the vestry to speak to me. Mr. Cecil says I do very 
wrong to come for so short a time. He would per- 
suade me to undertake for half the year. Vain 
would be the attempt, unless I kept a curate. Mr. 
Wilberforce has been at the chapel, and attends the 



406 



PREACHING IN LONDON. 



preaching constantly. Much he has to give up ! 
And what will be the issue, who can say ? — 

How religion prospers in this great capital, 

I cannot say. The hearers are very numerous ; but 
success in the sound conversion of the soul is but 
rarely found. This is matter of great grief, every- 
where. My son tells me he has preached to large 
congregations, for some months, at Sporle, • two 
miles from Dunham ; but he is much cast down, 
because none have come to him, inquiring what 
they must do to be saved. However, we must go 
on, with all long-suffering and doctrine. And much 
shall we need the Spirit of God, to quicken and 
comfort us, that we faint not. 

If I mistake not, Mr. R. knows Mr. >. 

Alas ! the poor man is sadly deluded, and is doing 
mischief daily. He is a vehement maintainer of 
the heresy of Universal Salvation. Twice I have 
been in his company ; and both times he was full of 
debate. In short, he will soon think, if he does not 
already, that his error is the only gospel. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 

Yelling, Aug. 1, 1786. 
How did your description of your Sabbath- 
day's journey to Huddersfield bring to my mind 
some of the sweetest hours of my life ! With thank- 
fulness to the Head of the Church, I bless God you 
were welcome at the vicarage; and from thence 
could go up to the House of the Lord, and hear His 
Gospel from His faithful servants. The worship of 
His Name, in self-abasement, and in the Holy Ghost, 
is both an imitation of the work above, and a fore- 



RECOLLECTIONS OF HUDDERSFIELD. 407 

taste of the bliss there enjoyed. And when both 
the preacher and the hearers come prepared to meet 
in the House of God, as soldiers do for a review 
before the king", or as musicians for a jubilee, how 
far beyond all that gives the senses delight are the 
pleasures of God's House ! To be morning-preacher 
at Huddersfield, for some Sundays, would revive 
me, even in my old age. But our lot is not ordered 
according' to our will, but in unerring wisdom and 
love. I have a dear brother confined to the house, 
and an affectionate wife too infirm for journeys. 

P.R. has been with us, on a visit. She is what 
her father, in his prayers and singleness of heart, 
has always desired she might be. You will think so 
too, when I tell you it will be a great grief to her 
heart to leave my house, where there is very little 
company, and no amusement or entertainment of 
any sort which the world takes pleasure in. Our 
comfort and delight (for we have both, in a high 
degree) is what they enjoyed, who wandered about in 
sheep skins and goat-skins, and had no lodging better 
than the dens and caves of the earth. 

You will ask, how I bore my work in London ? — 
Thanks be to God! very well. — I took care not 
to walk as I did the last year. I had very large 
and very attentive audiences — not one sleeper, that 
I could see. My last discourse (when there were 
many who could not get in) was on * the sinfulness 
of sin/ This, and what this subject prepares for (as 
you sweetly remark in your letter), the glory of 
Christ, are the whole of my preaching; and, I am 
persuaded, were the whole of Paul's. Happy is the 
man who at once beholds the cause of all the 
misery in earth and hell, in time and in eternity — 



408 



DEATH OP LADY GLENORCHY. 



sin J — -and the cause of all peace with God, and love 
of His name, here and in heaven — Christ, and His 
cross /— — 

TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Yelling, Aug. 17, 1786. 

A fortnight ago, I received the affecting news of 
the removal of your loving and beloved sister in 
Christ, Lady Glenorchy. Very soon after, my 
daughter, coming from London, informed me you 
were on the road, and near her house, in order to 
spend some time with her. This circumstance af- 
fected me much. See how uncertain are even the 
best and most -allowed pleasures we can receive 
from the creatures of God ! Well ! I consoled my- 
self that you have made all your happiness in Jesus, 
and Him crucified. And though the sudden and 
unexpected translation of your friend to glory, and 
to her exceeding great reward, must, at first, deeply 
affect you, you would be soon led to many soothing 
and sweet reflections upon your spiritual union with 
this departed saint — would rise, in sweet medita- 
tions, to the world where your name is enrolled with 
hers, as one for whom a mansion is prepared, even 
in your Father's house — where all His children meet 
together, favoured with His unclouded smile — where 
His whole will is done without weariness or defect — 
where all His excellency, and all His love, are ever 
present to the mind ; and the whole family, in love 
and perfect harmony, contribute to each other's fulness 
of felicity, without fear of diminution, or possibility 
of a change. 

My dear fellow-pilgrim and fellow-soldier ! yet 
a few more conflicts, and yours, too, shall be the 
victory and the triumph ! From all the consecrated 



THE REST PREPARED FOR THE AFFLICTED. 409 

chastisements you have so well endured, to the credit 
of your profession, to the undoubted proof of your 
heart's whole attachment to your Saviour — being 
here partaker with Him in sufferings, and made con- 
formable to His death — you shall enjoy " a far more 
exceeding 1 and eternal weight of glory/ 5 Then will 
you say, with an accent not to be conceived below, 
" Oh, what great troubles and adversities hast Thou 
shewn me, and yet broughtest me from the depths of 
the earth again ! " 

Oh that your God may make you strong in that 
faith which realizes to His saints their inheritance, 
the end of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus 1 
— that not a doubt of His eternal love to your pre- 
cious soul may lodge within — that you may reckon 
yourself appointed as a pillar, to stand for ever in 
heaven, a monument of grace reigning in your salva- 
tion. Scarcely a day passes that I do not remember 
you at the Mercy-seat ; and, sometimes, with those 
sweet sensations which Christian love, heightened by 
a great debt of gratitude, excites, when entreating 
Him to recompense our friends — friends most kind 
and condescending — whom we cannot. 

A single line, to know how you do, I shall much 
prize ; but shall be grieved you should write more, 
so poorly as, I fear, you are in health. — The comforts 
of the Father's love, the consolation of Christ, and 
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, ever refresh, sup- 
port, and fill your soul ! 

From your most indebted servant in the Gospel, 

H. Venn. 

Lady Mary Fitzgerald's answer to this letter has, hap- 
pily, been preserved. I take the liberty, therefore, of 



410 LETTER OF LADY M. FITZGERALD. 

inserting it in this correspondence, as it presents an inter- 
esting view of her state of mind ; and will also serve to 
explain the first part of a letter of Mr. Venn, which will 
follow it. 



FROM LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MY VERY DEAR friend, Quorn, Aug. 1786. 

Your kind and very precious letter really dis- 
tresses me. I cannot bear my fellow-creatures should 
see me in so different a light "from what my God 
does. 

Dear Lady Glenorchy's departure, which was the 
occasion of your writing, was a most blessed change 
for her, but a sad providence for the Church below. 
— But, oh ! I dare not think of myself as a sister to 
that blessed spirit, who am the meanest, and most 
unworthy, of all our dear Lord's servants : but true 
it is, if I do "not deceive myself, " I had rather be a 
door-keeper in the House of God, " &c. She was, 
indeed, a dear and highly-favoured Child of God ! 

Her removal made me give up all thoughts of 
going to Matlock. Bath would not agree with my 
present state (unless it were absolutely necessary 
for my health) ; therefore I persuaded my kind and 
attentive friend, Mrs. Mendis, to stay with me till 
next week: and having earnestly prayed our dear 
and compassionate Lord to open or shut any door 
which shall be to the profit of my soul, I have 
written to Mr. Robinson, begging the favour of him 
to look out for a quiet airy lodging for me at Lei- 
cester, for a few weeks. I passed a Sabbath there, 
in my way here, and found his preaching very pro- 
fitable ; but I desire to be divested of self-will. The 



LETTER OF LADY M. FITZGERALD. 4 1 i 

air is remarkably good and clear there, which made 
me think of it. 

I felt, with gratitude, your delicacy in not men- 
tioning my heavy affliction* — yet taking occasion, 
from dear Lady Glenorchy's safe landing in the 
spiritual Canaan, to inquire of my health. My 
nerves are much shattered, as you may imagine ; and 
my health indifferent, though greatly better than I 
could have hoped, after so dreadful a shock, at the 
end of long and painful anxiety. I needed to be 
severely chastised and humbled. Gracious is the 
Lord, in all His dealings towards His creatures ! 
His long forbearance and patience with us astonish 
me. He is not only just, but merciful, even in 
judgment. Glory be to His adorable name ! He 
put a song into my heart, that I might glorify Him 
in the furnace. I can truly say, that, instead of daring 
to murmur any one moment during this afflictive 
dispensation, I have been constrained to admire the pa- 
tience of our adorable God and Saviour. — But I must 
have done : the subject is too much for my feelings. 

I am much concerned to hear that useful and 
valuable minister, Dr. Conyers, is probably by this 
time ^removed from this world to a better. This 
sounds cruel to him, for whom I had a most sincere 
regard ; but, self apart, I think him so great a loss to 
the Church militant, that I should rejoice the Lord 
had seen it expedient he had waited some time longer 
for his crown. This, you will say, is a bad return 
for the comfort he has often been made to me, by his 
conversation ; but I am a poor selfish wretch — I con- 
demn myself for it. Our Lord certainly knows best 
what is good, both for His church and people. How- 
* The death of an eldest son, under most distressing circumstances. 



412 



LETTER OF LADY M. FITZGERALD. 



ever, I comfort myself that I may be thankful for my 
dear friends who are spared ; and earnestly hope and 
pray you, my dear Sir, may long be of that number ! 
Forgive me ! but I do most sincerely hope and trust 
our Lord has much more work for you on earth. 

I return you many thanks for your precious letter, 
though it is truly painful to me to be so mistaken by 
my friends ; and find it hurtful to be looked upon as 
something, though I am really worse than nothing. 
It seems to me as if it brought judgments on me, to 
bring me down again to the dust, where I ought 
ever to lie, in the deepest self-abasement. Believe me, 
I need much pulling down, or our gracious Lord 
would not inflict so much. Yet, oh ! how tenderly 
does He deal with such a wretch, in " the midst of 
judgment remembering mercy and inclining the 
hearts of His dear children to be so kind, attentive, 
and tender towards me ! 

I have disobeyed your kind command of writing 
but three lines. 

Believe me, with most sincere respect and regard, 
your unworthy, truly affectionate friend and servant, 

Mary Fitzgerald. 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Birmingham, Sept 14, 1786. 

I hope, when you leave Leicester, you will try 
Yelling air ; and if much fervent prayer, to make 
your visit of use and comfort to your soul, may pre- 
vail, it will not be wanting. — By Mr. Simeon, I 
received your Ladyship's letter. 

When we speak of the grace of God which our 
Christian friends have received, it is not to be con- 



GRACE IN CHRISTIAN FRIENDS COMMENDED. 



413 



eluded that we forget they are still polluted exceed- 
ingly, and in many things offend ; — it is not that 
they should cherish one thought of self-complacency. 
We know it is contrary to their best feelings. But do 
those of a sorrowful spirit, who are in the midst of 
severest conflicts, and, withal, too apt to write bitter 
things against themselves, want no word of encourage- 
ment ? Ought they not to give God thanks that they 
are enabled to walk before the Church uprightly — 
when their fellow Christians assure them they do ? I 
labour to copy, as nearly as I can, from the unerring 
word. Now, in that book, I find St. Paul and St. 
J ohn, especially St. Paul, speak in terms of high com- 
mendation of the Christians of Philippi and Thessa- 
lonica; and telling even them of Corinth, that they 
were " the Epistle of Christ, known and read of all 
men !" and were an honour to him, as His Epistle. 
He well understood this would animate them afresh, 
and invigorate their minds more zealously to serve 
the Lord. Indeed, where there is a spark of inge- 
nuity, commendation does good : I have seen it work 
gratitude and self-abasement. How does St. Paul 
commend his beloved Timothy ! How does St. J ohn 
extol his beloved Gaius, declaring he could " wish 
him nothing better, than that his body should be healed 
and prosper, even as his soul prospered!" I did 
therefore, and do still, think it is very fit and right 
for me, when my highly-esteemed friends in Christ 
are sorely afflicted, and under storms and great di- 
stresses, to put them in remembrance that the Lord 
" hath done great things " for them ; and, with the 
consecrated cross, has assured them the crown of life, 
and given them the pledge of it, in changing them 
into His own likeness, in lowliness, patience, and 



414 



ANTICIPATION OF HEAVEN. 



submission. — I will write no more on this point 
hoping, as I do with great satisfaction, that I shall 
have an opportunity, at Yelling, of conversing largely 
on this matter.— I enjoy my friends much more at 
home than in London. I have them to myself, with- 
out interruption. 

Glory be to God, for His love to us ! The night 
of darkness and woe, of the miseries and corruptions 
we groan under, is far spent: the day, the mild, 
sweet, joyous, triumphant day, is at hand ; 

When, in th' eternal world unknown, 
I ' m call'd to appear before Thy throne, 
O Rock of Ages ! cleft for me, 
Then will I hide myself in Thee. 

To that dear Saviour T do not forget, frequently, and 
sometimes (I can say) fervently, to commend you. 

I know not when I shall see my beloved friends 
again in London ; but soon I shall meet them all on 
Mount Zion, and drink with them there of the river 
which flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 
Within this last year, I have had more knowledge, 
and more meditation, of the state of those who die in 
the Lord, when they are with Him, than in all the 
years I have lived before. 

I am so much enfeebled, that at three several sit- 
tings I have been employed to finish this letter. I 
trust I shall never be weary, while I breathe, of 
praying for my friends ; but the work of writing is a 
burden. 

Though our heavenly inheritance is not in its 
value fluctuating, yet the state of the Church militant, 
varying much, makes it more desirable at some times 
than at others. Now, then, when Atheism, and a 



THE FELICITY OF HEAVEN. 



415 



bitter enmity against God and man, rages, and spreads 
wider and wider, how sweet is the thought of enter- 
ing into rest! May it please God we may soon 
enter ! 

From your much-indebted friend, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, Oct. 25, 1786. 
My dear friend is, by this time, we suppose, re- 
turned from the excursion. Dear Mr. Riland, we 
hope, is better of his complaint, and glorifying God 
by his suffering with cheerfulness what the flesh 
would resent — confinement, or cutting-pff in point 
of active usefulness. You must be sure to mention 
how you all go on — particularly yourself. 

We have been disappointed of ourfriend*s intended 
visit. Master Parry was not well enough to be left. 
Now we are on the point to be quite solitary — three 
old people, decaying evidently ; but not cast down. 
The hope set before us is an exhilarating cordial. 

I awoke the other night with a very pleasing sensa- 
tion of the joy of being with " the spirits of the just 
made perfect." The several ingredients which un- 
doubtedly constitute their exalted felicity, at once 
occurred — full light, and zeal, and love, and holiness 
— full conviction, never ceasing, from whence we 
were taken, by what means, how preserved, how dis- 
tinguished, how rich to all eternity ! — " They thought 
not of that pleasant land," was the reproach laid to 
Israel of old ; and, which I am sensible, belongs to me 
also. Seldom have I dwelt and pondered on the 
inheritance reserved in heaven for all that belong to 
Christ. But nothing less than close habitual attention 



416 MR. JOHNSON, CHAPLAIN OF NEW S. WALES. 

to the felicity of God's chosen will give it due 
weight. On this pleasing subject let our contempla- 
tions dwell, and our thoughts unite, till we know 
perfectly, above, what is " the hope of God's calling, 
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance 

in the saints." 

The Child that was born, and the Son that was' 
given to us, be your Counsellor, your God, your 
Father, and your peace ! In Him may we live, here 
and in eternity ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 
MY DEAR JANE, Yelling, Oct. 28, 1786. 

In expectation of your letter, I sent this morning 
to Caxton. We were not disappointed. To Him 
that heareth prayer be all praise returned, for His 
goodness to us — for His preservation of mother and 
child. 

— — By the same post I received a letter from 
dear Mr. Thornton, saying that he, the last Sunday, 
introduced Mr. Samuel Johnson to two hundred 
and fifty of his future congregation, aboard the Hulk 
at Woolwich. Through the influence of Mr. Wil- 
berforce with Mr. Pitt, he is appointed Chaplain to 
Botany Bay, with a salary of 180Z. per annum. I 
trust he will prove a blessing to these lost creatures ! 
Those that stole, will there steal no more : for having 
no receivers of stolen goods, no alehouses, &c, they 
will be under no temptation to steal. With what 
pleasure may we consider this plan of peopling that 
far- distant region, and other opening connexions with 
the Heathen, as a foundation for the Gospel of our 



CONVERSION OF THE HEATHEN. 417 

God and Saviour to be preached unto them ; — when 
" a vast multitude, whom no man can number," shall 
call upon His Name — when " the wilderness shall 
become a fruitful field," and all the savageness of the 
Heathen shall be put off, and all the graces of the 
Spirit shall be put on. Though neither I, nor you, 
who are yet in youth, (much less I, who am stricken 
in years) shall be living on earth when this fact comes 
to pass, yet we shall be well informed of it above. 
All heaven will break forth in that song of praise, 
"Allelujah ! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth !" 
See what honour God putteth upon them who love 
Him in sincerity ! To be the means of sending the 
Gospel to the other side of the globe — what a favour ! 
Mr. Thornton says the Archbishop of Canterbury and 
Sir Charles Middleton seem much to approve the 
sending of Mr. Johnson. 

We shall expect to hear from you once a week. — 
We suppose you are much taken up with the little 
stranger, and give it many kisses. May we all now 
feel afresh the force of that holy exclamation — " Oh 
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, 
and declare the wonders that He doeth for the child- 
ren of men l" 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Nov, 25, 1786. 

What a cause for thankfulness, that you can use 
the Buxton waters ; and use them as the preparation 
of your Heavenly Father, and in the spirit of the 
lame man at the pool ; and, when you are relieved, 

E E 



418 



adam's private thoughts. 



can ascribe your health to Him, of whom cometh 
your salvation, and the medicine to heal the sick- 
ness of your soul ! 

As I shall not be able, so soon as I could wish, to 
come and preach to you myself, I will send a friend, 
whom you used much to esteem, in my stead. There 
is no fear but you will give him a kind reception. 
His name is Adam, " who being* dead, yet speaketh." 
I forward you a copy of his Private Thoughts. Much 
have I been profited by them. Though the writer 
was an Arminian, I read his works as if his words 
came fresh from his lips, sitting by my side. Among 
many beautiful and striking passages, I will mention 
one, which I instantly turned into a prayer for my- 
self, and you, and all my Christian friends ; and hope 
often to do so, till I pass hence. The passage is, 
that we may have a distinct consciousness of the in- 
finite superiority of the heavenly state, above the pre- 
sent — strong desires after it — ameetness for it in Christ 
— so that, when the summons comes, we may rush 
into it with joy and transport. May you enjoy this 
blessed preparation for a glorious eternity ! 

Give my love to all your branches ; and tell Henry, 
my namesake, he can now get the start of me, as 
I did, six years ago, of him, in running. I am a 
grandpapa ; and appear with a pair of spectacles, 
reading the papers. 

The first week in September, we went to my 
son's — the thing he had perfectly longed for. We 
staid three nights at his house. Eight of us went 
on the Monday, and returned on the Saturday. His 
name is up in the country. He lectures on Tues- 
days and Thursdays, in his house — generally to 
more than fifty, sometimes seventy, hearers. — "A 



SECESSION FROM THE CHURCH. 



419 



wise son maketh a glad father." Help me to be 
thankful ! 

Every one who knows our good friend is 

struck, as you are, at his wildness. A man of fifty, 
in a most useful sphere, greatly honoured in his 
ministry, after laying the stress on things essential 
and vital, to turn aside to contentions — oh, lament- 
able ! We met, eleven in number, to receive his 
Paper of Objections*; not one of which is new, or 
has not been debated over and over again. We all 
gave him our judgment, which was unanimous. In- 
stead of aiming all his blows against sin, Satan, and 
the world, as heretofore, they must now be levelled 
against the Church of England. Indeed, it is a step 
which will have sad consequences, respecting many 
serious souls who were serving God in quietness and 
comfort, and adorning their profession, having no 
objections to make. Now they will be tossed to and 
fro, while many will conclude religion itself is nothing 

substantial. The good Lord be our guide f . 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES ST1LLINGFLEET. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, March 7, 1787 

Your letter was very acceptable to me ; as some 
months had passed since I had heard from you. " We 
know not what a day may bring forth," and how it 

* The Objections were against the discipline of the Church of 
England. The person alluded to did not leave the Church. He was 
dissuaded from that step, chiefly by the advice of a Dissenting Minis- 
ter ; who frankly laid before him the disadvantages he would have to 
encounter ; and assured him, that if he were himself in the Church, 
he should thank God for it, and remain in it. 

E E 2 



420 GRACE PROPORTIONED TO DILIGENCE. 

may fare with our friends ; and are, on that account, 
glad to hear of them frequently. 

I sympathize with you in your troubles from the 
corruption of nature ; feeling myself harassed with 
hardness of heart, coldness of affection towards God 
and man, and by slightly performing secret duties, 
when I so well know God is " a rewarder (only) of 
them who diligently seek Him." How totally does 
the estimate I made of myself, thirty-five years since, 
differ from what I know now to be my real condition 
I then confidently expected to be holy very soon, 
even as St. Paul was ; and that there would be no 
other difference here between me and angels, than 
that I, by watching, fasting, and praying, without 
ceasing, had conquered and eradicated sin, which 
they had never known. Now, I compare myself 
with the Great Apostle, and can scarcely perceive a 
diminutive feature or two of what shines so promi- 
nently in that noble saint. 

Nay, in reading the life of a minister many de- 
grees inferior to St. Paul, I see so much grace 
abounding in him, as to make my own poverty very 
conspicuous — I mean the life of dear Mr. Fletcher. 
— What a shining example ! What a proof that 
zeal, and constant application, and self-denial, can 
work wonders ! What a proof, that communications 
of the Spirit of Christ, though not for merit of any 
thing in us, yet are always in proportion to the pains 
we take in setting apart solemn times for humiliation, 
and for seeking after God, that we may have much 
counsel, direction, and blessing from Him, in our 
work, and in our own souls. Without the aid obtained 
from Heaven, in this way (yet still holding the Head, 
and depending on Christ alone for righteousness and 



BENEFIT OF FASTING. 



421 



strength), our conversation will never be convincing 
and striking as becomes our office ; nor will there be 
a fulness, a solidity, an unction, and nourishment for 
souls in our ministrations : we shall see little fruit of 
our labours. 

I have been long kept back from practising what 
I did for seven years, with much profit — -fasting. 
My wife and daughter have exclaimed, I should ruin 
my health, &c. I have at last come to a composition; 
which is, that on Fridays I shall not breakfast, nor be 
with them till dinner. By this means I have some, 
time for solemn recollection, and more attention to 
the things of God. And the advantage even of this 
little sequestration is evident : I find more of a 
spiritual mind — am more sensible of the Divine 
Presence — more watchful that no foolish conversation 
proceedeth out of my mouth — and I am more helped 
in preaching. Indeed, ministers of Christ must be a 
good deal in retirement, to gird up the loins of the 

mind ; or we shall be in a great strait at last. 

Yours, &c. 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yetting, March 21, 1787. 
We reckon, week after week, my beloved friend, 
upon receiving tidings from you; but are disap- 
pointed. This comes to quicken your pen; or if, 
as we fear, you are not well enough to write, tell 
my pupil we hope she will take up her ready pen ; 
for a ready one it is, whenever she pleases to use it. 

Since you heard from us last, we have been 
afflicted with much sickness in our family. I brought 



422 PREACHING IN HIS KITCHEN, 

on my illness by my own folly; — for, being" at 
Cambridge the last Sunday in January, I preached 
there three times the same day ; and for five nights 
sat up talking, with great delight, and conversing, 
with Dr. Jowett, his brother, Mr. Coulthurst, Mr. 
Simeon, and Mr. Farish, till past twelve — a very 
late hour for me ! Our whole conversation was 
concerning the glory of our Lord, His infinite love, 
and the happiness of all who know and serve Him. 
The joyful inexhaustible theme gave me spirits 
during the time ; but when I came home, I suffered 
for it. 

Upon my return home, I received a letter from 
my son, saying, that Mr. and Mrs. Parry were much 
afflicted by the loss of their youngest daughter, 
and the dangerous sickness of the son. I deter- 
mined to pay them a visit ; and set out on Monday, 
the 4th of February, on horseback, by seven in the 
morning, in a very cold, frosty east-wind. Before 
I had ridden four miles, I was so overcome and 
oppressed with the cold, that I was forced to turn 
back, and was taken ill, and have been confined 
nearly three weeks. One Sunday, the post to Cam- 
bridge failing, Mr. Simeon could not come, as had 
been given out ; and the bells had called the people 
together. I desired that they might come to my 
house. The kitchen and scullery were full ; and se- 
veral stood outside. I spoke on that glorious decla- 
ration of Paul, " I have learned, in whatsoever 
state I am, therewith to be content." Many shed 
tears, and deep was the attention: in short, I think 
they were much more impressed with my discourse, 
in such circumstances, than if I had been, as usual, 
in the pulpit. Shall I tell you what a tax I paid for 



WHEN CONFINED BY ILLNESS. 423 

my preaching? — It did me much good, and almost 
removed at once my ailments ! But Ruth was sure 
I should kill myself: Kitty looked as if she believed 
as much : Mrs. Venn was as much out of temper as 
she can be: but Jane, the wise, the discreet Jane, was, 
alas ! quite angry to see me so very imprudent. — 
I could only meekly reply, " It is good, sometimes, to 
venture." Within this last fortnight I am much 
stronger ; and, what is better than strength, my con- 
gregation is increased, and I have some of the hearers 
in a hopeful way. 

Were it lawful, how should I give way to 

wishes that I were in the neighbourhood of my dear 
friends and dear children ! but that is, to a Christian, 
forbidden. Too much pleasure, in our situation here, 
might damp our desire after a better. It surely 
would. — My dear friend, since we can spend so few 
hours on earth in sweet society as Christians and 
pilgrims, let us be the more earnest to get into the 
world where all is solid and permanent, and we shall 
be ever with the Lord. 

Tell my dear pupil, I know I am in her debt, and 
I shall hope to pay before I go to London. I think 
of her with pleasure ; and hope to hail her arrival 
one day on the heavenly coast, where all that is sweet 
and amiable in her disposition shall be brought to 
perfection ; and what is so pleasing to behold now 
only in the bud and the blossom, shall be unfolded, 
and shine in beauty, surpassing far all that is admired 
in the Church below. Tell her, Nanny Marchill died 
last week — one of the meekest on earth — whom God 
has now, I doubt not, beautified with His salvation. 
I preached her funeral sermon with great comfort, on 
Rev. xiv. 13. 



424 



THE WAY OF ATTAINING 



We all join in love to Mr. R., yourself, and the 
branches. The Lord preserve you evermore from all 
evil — preserve your souls and bodies, your going out 
and coming in, henceforth and for evermore ! 

Your affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 



TO MR. ELLIOTT. 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, April 3, 1787. 

Scarcely a single day has passed since your letter 
was received by me, which mentioned your desire 
that I would send you some directions how you 
might be heavenly-minded, that the request has been 
forgotten ; though I could give no answer till now. 
There are no other rules and directions to be trusted 
in, than those which the inspired writings contain. 

As soon as a Christian desires to be of a heavenly 
mind, he has already begun to be so. The light from 
above has shined into his heart. He is a child of the 
light and of the day. His walk, consequently, will be 
governed by this light; which will increase by his 
frequent aspirations after his God, in such language 
as this: "Whom have I in heaven but Thee?" and*, 
"Thou, O God, art the thing which I long for!" 
Sweetly drawn by the beauty and love of your hea- 
venly Bridegroom, you will be jealous of His rival, 
which is, in all of us — self-love. 

I can only relate to you how I have hitherto (and 
I am nearly at the end of my warfare) been preserved. 
I never had such a weight and variety of affairs 
to manage, as a man engaged in so much business as 
yourself ; but I had a large young family, very dear 
to me, and not enough for their maintenance from 



HEAVENLY-MINDEDNESS. 



425 



year to year; and, in case of my death, they were 
to be destitute. I was, however, wonderfully free 
and cheerful in my heart. I think I should not have 
been more so, if I had been without a child. My 
preservative was wholly this : " He that hath the Son, 
hath life ; and he that hath not the Son, hath not 
life." A full and powerful conviction of this truth 
was necessarily attended with constant prayer for 
them and myself, that we might have this one thing 
needful ; — which grew, by this means, in price and 
value ; and nothing was suffered to come for a mo- 
ment in competition with it. I used often to think, 
and say to myself, " Was Christ enough for peace, 
comfort, and joy, to the first Christians; and is He 
not now the same ? — enough to the poor, destitute, 
afflicted members of His body, with whom I hope to 
live for ever ; and will He not be enough for me and 
my children I" So (with great thankfulness to God 
for it !) I conclude you do ; that when you have 
prosperity, and your gain increases, you immediately 
lift up your soul, and say, "Let not money, but 
Thyself, be my exceeding joy ! I thank Thee for the 
success ! O, let it not corrupt and poison my mind, 
by increasing worldly lusts V 3 In like manner, when 
you suffer loss, and are unjustly treated, or basely 
deceived, your spiritual mind will feel disposed to 
accept the matter as a fresh proof that all below is 
vanity and vexation. Thus will you grow more and 
more spiritually-minded. 

But, above all, be sure that, together with the 
knowledge of Christ Crucified, you take the certain 
method advised by Him — that is, of giving liberally. 
" Give alms of such things as ye have." The more 
you receive in prosperity, the more give. They nobly 



426 



IMPORTANCE OF LIBERALITY. 



serve God, adorn their profession, and ensure a bless- 
ing on themselves and family, who are afraid of 
withholding more than is due — who are afraid of 
pleading a large family as a reason for not being 
merciful and liberal. This truly Christian spirit will 
bring down plenteously the dew of grace upon your 
souls, make your faces shine, your family comfortable, 
and your departure full of peace. Ministering to the 
saints, is a grace which accompanies salvation. 

I am much exercised by the sickness of half my 
family. Yet all is from a Father's and a Saviour's 
hand. To Him we always commend you ; and with 
all our love, I remain 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Oct. 7, 1787. 

I can easily conceive your want of time to write ; and 
willingly shall we dispense with your letter of thanks. 

Our minds are united, and our hearts are one in 
the union spiritual and eternal. If we communi- 
cated any pleasure to you both, we received full as 
much. We only regretted we could have no more 
of your company, and that your health was so in- 
different. We are always either talking of, or think- 
ing of, or praying for you. Moses' prayer in the 
mount, while the host of Israel engaged hand to hand 
with the enemy, is a striking lesson to the ministers 
of God. So ought they to lift up holy hands, when 
so many of God's dear children are in the multiplicity 
of business, and ready to be swallowed up by its cares 
— cares unavoidable. In my poor way, I follow the 
example of Moses. Often I remember you and yours 
at large, and enjoy a delicious hour in secret. 



PIETY IN MEN OF BUSINESS. 



427 



What do I not owe to that Almighty grace and in- 
finite love, which has wrought in me such a change ! 
When I look back forty years of my life, I remember 
I was perpetually in company, full of animal spirits, 
thoughtless, self-pleasing; and solitude would then 
have been the heaviest burden to my mind. Now, to 
be alone, to be looking on my bed as probably the 
spot on which I am to fight the last battle, before 
I win Christ, and see Him as He is — to consider, 
with the closest attention, the origin, and the nature, 
and the consequences of death, to the friends of Christ 
— this work invigorates my mind, and nourishes my 
soul. I accept the privilege and power of doing 
thus, and the great opportunity I have for this exer- 
cise, with joyful gratitude ; saying, " The lot is fallen 
unto me in a good ground ; yea, I have a goodly 
heritage/ 5 

Not that men of business, and those exposed to 
much greater trials than mine, have cause to envy 
such a lot. They who are Christians carry the 
good savour into many places ; while we are fixed to 
a spot. They shew that godliness is practicable in 
the most active sphere ; they shew the invincible 
power of patience, under great provocations ; of pro- 
bity, under strong temptations to be dishonest ; and 
of mercy and of pity, notwithstanding all incitements 
to love money, and withhold more than is due. 
I expect with delight to see yourself, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
Neal, and many more, in the Great Day, when 
admiring and rejoicing angels and saints, and elders 
of the Church triumphant, shall say, " Lo ! these are 
the men who trusted not in riches, but in the Lord : 
and He was their hope, their love, their all V 3 

My wife is much better than she was a fortnight 



428 



HIS DOMESTIC FELICITY, 



since. I feel not the least hurt from my late acci- 
dent. We enjoy so much, that we often agree no- 
thing earthly could make an addition to our comfort, 
but (what we must not wish for one moment) that we 
could all of us be much oftener together. 

Yours in all love, 

H. Venn 



429 



CORRESPONDENCE, 



SECTION V. 

LETTERS WRITTEN, FROM THE YEAR 1788 TO THE CLOSE OP 
HIS CORRESPONDENCE. 



WE are now arrived at that period in Mr. Venn's life, when 
the decay of his bodily strength, and the symptoms of ap- 
proaching old age, became more and more apparent. Hence, 
his letters may, perhaps, from this time, manifest an abate- 
ment in vigour and comprehension of thought ; but they 
acquire an additional value, as containing the matured re- 
flections of a mind furnished with long and extensive experi- 
ence in religion ; and also as exhibiting both the peace and 
resignation of an aged Christian, during the last stage of his 
earthly pilgrimage, and his full assurance of faith in the glory 
ready to be revealed. 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, June 19, 1788. 

Yours, dated the 12th, came safe, and gave us all 
much cause to be thankful. What do we all owe 
to the grace of our God, for withholding us from evil 
— for delivering from the dominion of our corrup- 



430 



IMPORTANCE OF PREACHING. 



tion ! Very few are free from sloth and idleness. 
Averseness to all labour, and all cultivation of the 
mind, is a considerable part of the universal depra- 
vity. With pleasure I read of your progress in 
human learning* : for you will know how to improve 
it, and use it well for the glory of the Giver of every 
talent. Our ministry is hindered, because so very 
few preachers of Christ are pains-taking men, to read 
much, and to think much, in order to be full men 
in the pulpit; which, joined with prayer, gives a 
relish in the people's mind, when they hear us ; 
whereas it is very different, when either reading or 
thinking: is neglected. 

Through the goodness of my God, I left London 
well, and had several very profitable seasons. I am 
persuaded we are very negligent in respect of our 
texts. Some of the most weighty and striking are 
never brought before the people ; yet these are the 
texts which speak for themselves. You no sooner 
repeat them, than you appear in your high and holy 
character, as a messenger of the Lord of Hosts. 
Within these few weeks, I have found it so. In Lon- 
don, I preached on — " Thus saith the Lord : Cursed 
be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh 
his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and 
shall not see when good cometh ; but shall inhabit 
the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, 
and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth 
in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he 
shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that 
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not 
see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green ; 
and shall not be careful in the year of drought. 



ON STRIKING TEXTS. 



431 



neither shall cease from yielding fruit:" Jer. xvii. 
5 — 8. I contrasted the character described in the 
first verse with the Child of God in the latter. The 
very reading" of my text fixed the attention, and 
raised, as I could see, the expectation of the hearers ; 
— and much affected they seemed to be. Last Sun- 
day, I saw the same impression, from — "And the 
Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him 
there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord. And 
the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The 
Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long- 
suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth 
Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6 ; — on which I am to preach again, 
God willing, next Lord's-day. I feel the good of 
selecting these passages, to my own soul. I have to 
lament and bewail my ignorance and great defects 
for so many years ; one thousandth part of which I do 
not yet perceive. I wish you may attend to this 
point ; and be led to make the chief and vital parts, 
as they may be called, of Scripture your subjects of 
discourse. 

God be praised for His help, that you have been 
able to speak so faithfully to Dr. P. ! Indeed, it is a 
rare thing to tell our friends what we see is likely 
to hurt them and destroy them. While I write, 

I suppose you are at . May our Lord and 

Saviour be with you both, and hear your prayers, 
and knit your hearts together in the love of His 
Name ! 

I have heard, since I came home, of the death of 
old Mrs. Houghton of Huddersfield, and of Mrs. 
Kershaw. Both of them departed in much peace, 
enjoying the salvation of God ; which I felt with some 
thankfulness. 



432 



INTERVIEW WITH MR. BERRIDGE. 



1 dined yesterday at — — Mr. B. and Mr. D. 
met me there : — not a syllable, from either, to edifica- 
tion ! Oh, how suspicious does it appear, when a 
minister never speaks of his Master, or of all the good 
things He bestows, except in the pulpit ! 

The Sunday before last, I preached in the afternoon 
at Everton : my brother Berridge in the morning. 
Four years have passed since we heard each other. 
We both perceived how our voices were weakened ; 
but had a sweet interview, while we talked together 
of the pity and tender love of our adorable Master 
towards all his aged ministers, when they are almost 
past the service of their office. He told me he could 
pray little out of his own mind ; but the method he 
used was, to read his Bible, and, as he read, to turn 
the word into prayer for himself. 

Mr. Samuel Knight * lately visited us, from Col- 
lege. He is very visibly increased in knowledge, and 
his ministerial abilities are very considerable; and, 
what is best of all, he seems not at all to know what 
gifts he has. Adieu, my dear son ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



In another letter, Mr. Venn again alludes to the importance 
of preaching upon striking texts. 



I preached lately upon a subject I never 

did at Huddersfield — -to my shame be it spoken ! — - 

* The late Vicar of Halifax. 



CHOICE OF TEXTS. 



433 



nor any where else : Jeremiah xvii. 5 — 8. It is very 
humbling* to see, at more than threescore years of 
age, that I have never set before my hearers very 
many of the most striking and the most instructive 
parts of God's word. It is a comfort to me, that 
I am preserved, to prevent other pastors doing so 
poorly as I have done. My friends at Cambridge 
often asked me for a text, which they make use of. 
I have advised Simeon, and Coulthurst, and H. J owett, 
to mark, as I have done, the capital parts, all through 
the Bible. — Blessed be God, the night is far spent, the 
day is at hand, when we shall no more, with labour, 
and study, and prayer, get a little knowledge of the 
Lord ; but a flood of light at once shall break in 
upon our mind, and we shall know even as we are 
known ! 



TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 

MY DEAR eling, Yelling, June 23, 1788. 

Were my children enjoying health and prosperity, 
I believe it would be the worse for them and for my- 
self. The earth would then appear free from the con- 
demnation and curse which it, and its inhabitants, are 
under. I should forget, that I, the father, and you my 
dear branches springing from me, are both corrupt, 
and doomed to feel for a moment, compared to our 
future state, what we derive from the first Adam, as 
our natural father — that we may know what we owe 
for our recovery and salvation to the second — the 
Lord from heaven. When I think of my dear 
children, as I do continually, I find much cause of 
thankfulness, that they have all been preserved — all 
kept from doing any thing contrary to their Chris- 



434 mr. Venn's prayers for his children. 

tian profession. What affection I see in them for 
their aged father ! What hope I entertain, that we 
have one Lord, one hope, one pursuit, and one heart 
and mind, in preferring Christ to all that dazzles and 
leads captive poor mankind ! 

What, it may be said, can you wish for more ? 
As a Christian, I answer, Nothing. As a man and 
a parent, I am ready to say, The comfort of children 
in health and strength. But presently I correct 
myself, and pray for my sons and daughters — with 
simplicity, only for the comfort of the help of God 
— that each of us may see in His light — that from 
our birth, to the moment of our death, every step 
is a part of the race set (or measured out) before 
us, for the trial of our faith, our love, and our pa- 
tience. So that we never ought to reckon upon the 
enjoyment, my dear Eling, even of our most lawful 
comforts; — not of a beloved husband or wife — not 
of a pleasant child, whose presence exhilarates, and 
whose excellency amply recompenses all the watchful 
care and indefatigable attention we have paid to form 
and fashion it for usefulness. 

Now is the time of our warfare: we are to fight 
under Christ's banner; — not once, or twice, but to 
our life's end ; — not against a single foe, or a feeble 
one, but against the world, the flesh, and the devil. 
Though these words, by being familiar to our ears 
from our very infancy, make a very slight impression ; 
yet each enemy, considered apart, is very formidable, 
and, combined in their aim and attempt to destroy 
invincible, by all human efforts. The Lord God 
Omnipotent alone can defeat and trample them under 
his feet. To Him, day by day — I might say, hour by 
hour — I am looking for aid and for victory. 



DEATH OF MRS. KEilSHAW. 



435 



On Friday, I received, with a ring, the following 
lines from dear Mr. Kershaw : — " To her, whose 
name the ring" bears, you were very dear. Often, 
and especially of late, we recounted our Hudders- 
field days. They were our golden days ; — for to 
them, under your instrumentality, we owed ourselves. 
She walked in the same faith, in humility, and love, 
and full dependence, as a sinner, on the Saviour. 
As she lived, so she died. Six weeks she struggled 
with extreme pain, in fixed composure and amazing 
patience : the fear of death was removed, and his 
sting drawn ; till, on the night of the 16 th of May, she 
fell asleep, without a struggle, sigh, or groan; the 
very night fifty- two weeks on which my ever-lamented 
son fell away on the same arm — the arm of the 
Father and the Husband : and both were interred on 
the 20th of May. 55 — 

May the Lord bring us to drink of the rivers 

of pleasure at His right hand, for evermore ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. ELLIOTT. 
(on THE DEATH OP HIS MOTHER.) 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, October 7, 1788. 

I join with you in thankfulness to our dear Lord, 
for giving your beloved parent so easy a deliverance 
from this evil world ; and a happy improvement of 
the Gospel, which you were the instrument of bringing 
to her ears. 

When we see the remains of those so dear to us 
deposited in the grave, how unavoidable are many 
affecting questions of this sort ! Where are they 

F F 2 



436 



" BLESSED ARE THE DEAD. 



now ? How does it fare with them ? The answer 
from our own minds, when we think upon the sub- 
ject, apart from the written word, is mere conjecture. 
He alone who made us, and placed us here, and in 
His own appointed time removes us, can resolve 
our inquiries. And how full and consolatory is the 
voice from heaven, which says, " From henceforth," 
immediately after the spirit returns to God who gave 
it, " blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord ! " — 
Oh what a cluster of blessings instantly are in their 
possession ! Neither pain, nor grief, nor sin, nor cor- 
ruption, shall they feel any more! No more shall 
the spirituality of their affections be cramped and 
fettered — no uneasy tempers rise for a single moment 
— no darkness of the understanding — the vision of 
God, and the presence of Christ, fill the vast capa- 
cities of the immortal spirit ! 

I have often, and still do wonder, and have cause 
to lament, that death is not with great eagerness 
expected by me. Thanks be to God ! I am day by 
day thinking how near it must be in the course of 
nature, if not much nearer in the counsel of God ! 
But I want to rush into the joy of my Lord ; as men 
who are going, in the full force of curiosity and 
at great expense, to visit the grandest spectacle on 
earth, hasten to see it. I think of the young Gre- 
cian, who after hearing, in the evening, a lecture, in 
Plato's school, " On the soul's immortality," drowned 
himself the next morning in the river, to take pos- 
session of it. 

May the Lord of all Lords bless you, and keep you 
in His good ways, till we meet on Mount Sion ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



SUNDAY-SCHOOL AT YELLING. 



437 



TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan. 25, 1789. 

I have not often felt a more pleasing sensation 
than I did the last week, upon receiving the kind 
token of your remembrance and love to me, mani- 
fested in the piece of cloth and the stuff you sent for 
my poor neighbours. 

I rejoice much that your love for children conti- 
nues, and your endeavours to instruct them. Nothing, 
I am persuaded, turns to a greater profit, or is more 
necessary, than beginning early, and being before- 
hand with the evil world ; though it is not possible 
for us to be beforehand with the flesh. Some sense 
of £:ood and evil before God is thus excited, and a 
rebuker within will then be often heard. I have a 
Sunday-school here, but in a poor way : the children 
cannot, any of them, yet read, though it has been set 
up two years. The master, the best I can procure, is 
not sufficient: and on Sundays, having scarcely 
strength for my business in the church, I can give 
them no help. Nevertheless, the LordVday is not, 
as it used to be, the day for play and mischief ; and 
the children constantly attend church. 

I have a strong wish that you and Joseph would 
pay me a visit for three or four days ; which, I trust, 
may be spared. I want to see you, before I depart. 
Much cause of thankfulness you have given me, for 
many years ; and I want to tell you how fully per- 
suaded I am that the doctrine you have heard and 
believed, and the manner in which it has been pro- 
posed, is according to the Oracles of God. My en- 
deavours here are but in a small degree effectual to 
the good of souls ; yet some, I verily believe, are 



438 CONFIDENCE IN HIS RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 

joined to the Lord : and the numbers who attend, sur- 
prise my friends in the ministry who come to preach 
for me : and sometimes the singing is lively ; so that 
Ruth says, " Sir ! the singing was like Huddersfield." — 
Pray give my love to dear Joseph Hirst, and to every 
one of the children of the Most High. 

Last October, Mr. and Mrs. Riland, with two of 
their daughters, paid us a visit of three weeks. He 
preached in the afternoon, and I in the morning ; as 
we used to do. It was a blessed visit ! Both he and 

Mrs. R had a great desire to hear my son preach, 

whom they knew an infant. He came over, and 
preached on those affecting words : " He shall see of 
the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." Mr. 
Riland's eyes sparkled with joy all the time. He gave 
my son his hand, saying, " I glorify God in you ! This 
is preaching indeed!" 

I am much blessed in my wife, in my children, in 
my friends at Cambridge ; and, with gentle decay, 
and a pleasant prospect, I am going to the mansion 
prepared for me. My strength is much wasted, and 
my appetite more ; yet I speak and expound still, 
and my Sabbaths are sweet to my soul. The Lord 
bless you and your dear wife ; and give you to see 
more and more into the depth of iniquity within, and 
into the immense love of God in Christ Jesus the 
Lord ! Remember me to young Mr. Bradley. I am 
heartily glad to hear he continues in earnest, seeking 
the Lord. 

From your affectionate servant in Christ, 

H. Venn. 



LONGS TO BE FREE FROM SIN. 



439 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, March 4, 1789. 

I shall be heartily glad to see you and Mr. M , 

whenever you can come — next Monday, or any day. 
You are ever in my heart, to live and die with you. 
I have but a small part of the span of man's little day 
to go through. Through grace, which will be ever 
adored, not only by myself, but all who shall hear of 
my salvation, I look for the time when the Lord shall 
come and take me to Himself. And I have much 
comfort, that, after having experienced, alas ! so 
deeply the corruption of my nature, and the vanity of 
the world, and the sad defects in the best duties I 
have performed, there is a day approaching when 
I shall be free from sin, as an angel of God. 

The 19th of April is the first Sunday I have fixed 
to be in London. I do it with much doubt, not 
knowing whether I shall have strength of body. 
Your mother prompts me much to go, and, in a great 
measure, is the preponderating cause. Pray fervently, 
that, if I do go, my preaching may not be in vain ! 

I am very thankful your Visitation Sermon is talked 
of so long after it was preached. If you would be 
persuaded by me, you would carefully revise and cor- 
rect it, and then print it. I am sure it would do 
good. It shall be no expense to you. Young mini- 
sters, who have ability, and are fixed in villages, 
should publish. Each fresh publication opens a new 
channel for the Truth to flow. 

I know you have Kennicott's Two Dissertations. 
I have just gone through them a third time. I re- 
gard them as most masterly — never to be refuted. 
The fundamentals of Christ's religion are there so 



440 



kennicott's dissertations. 



clearly proved, that one does not know which most 
to admire — the author's strong intellect, Hebrew 
learning, extent of reading, forcible conclusions, or 
his youth and great modesty — not twenty-four when 
he published, and was immediately ranked with the 
first-rate writers ! I have a plan to publish a new 
edition. It is incredible how few have read them, 
of late! 

We are as warm for Mr. Pitt here as any of the 
nation; and all in rapture on the recovery of our be- 
loved King. 

Your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



About this time, the nation was filled with joy by the un- 
expected recovery of the King from the temporary derange- 
ment of his mind : a day of public thanksgiving was ap- 
pointed ; and the King and Royal Family went in procession 
to St. Paul's Cathedral, to return thanks to Almighty God. 
The circumstances are thus alluded to, in different letters. 



We have just heard our dear King is better. "God 
save the King ! Long live the King V 3 is the prayer 
of thousands and thousands of thousands, more fer- 
vently than ever ; — and when he is gone hence, may 
he live for evermore, through J esus Christ his Saviour ! 

Even in our small village, and alone as we were, 
we joined with glee in the national acknowledgment 
of God's great mercy. Though we had no lights, no 
transparencies to strike the eye of sense, we could, 
and I hope did, instead of external signs of festival 
joy, put on the armour of light, trim our lamps, and 
express strongly our gratitude, because the Lord was 
ready to save. 



on god's loving-kindness and mercy. 



441 



TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. 
MY DEAR KITTY, Yelling, April 8, 1789. 

Very great is the comfort we enjoy, from the pleas- 
ing account our very dear friends give of you, and 
from your own letters. Only exert yourself, and be- 
lieve you are capable of gaining the esteem of all 
your friends by good behaviour, you will find the 
thing not only practicable, but easy. 

Thanks be to God, that you have access to Him, as 
His child ! Oh, trust in His goodness and love ! Hear 
him proclaim His glory, in answer to that earnest pe- 
tition of Moses, who had seen such displays of His 
omnipotence in the plagues poured out on Egypt, and 
in dividing the Red Sea! — "And the Lord passed 
by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord 
God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abun- 
dant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thou- 
sands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 
and that will by no means clear the guilty ;" i.e. ob- 
stinate rebels, and sinners hard-hearted and impe- 
nitent. What a glorious God of love! — Hear the 
same character in Jeremiah ix. 23, 24 : " Thus saith 
the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
neither let the mighty man glory in his might : let not 
the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that 
glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and 
knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise 
loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the 
earth ; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." 
— Get by heart, and ponder on, these two Scriptures. 
Often confess your ignorance of Him, your false con- 
ceptions, and hard thoughts of Him, as if an 'earthly 
parent had more bowels of mercy towards his children 



442 STRIKING SERMON ON THE LAST JUDGMENT. 

than the Lord Almighty ; — when, indeed, as is His Ma- 
jesty incomprehensible, so is His pity towards them 
that fear Him. He is much dishonoured and injured 
in our thoughts by our doubtings and fears ; and they 
do us no good, nor work in us any amendment, but 
vex and make us weary of His service, cloud the soul, 
darken faith, and keep off those strong beams of di- 
vine love, which warm and exhilarate, and set the 
heart at liberty, to run the way of God's command- 
ments. Now, just in proportion as our trust in the 
Lord, as our God, increases, so much the more shall 
we mortify our vile affections, be patient in adversity ? 
and thankful in every condition ! 

Your dear brother left us last Friday, after a second 
short visit. I wished you had been present, one 
morning, when he prayed ! Oh, it was indeed draw- 
ing nigh to God ; — such real self-abasement, such 
holy pleadings for more grace and entire devotedness 
to God, such dependence upon the Saviour, that it re- 
freshed and profited us all ! 

Xext Thursday I purpose setting out for London. 
1 am to preach eight Sundays. It is a great work, to 
stand up and speak for God and His Truth, before so 
great a multitude ! Pray for your father, that he may 
have a deep sense of his own utter insufficiency ; and 
be thoroughly furnished for the service, so as to speak, 
with wisdom and understanding, sound doctrine which 
cannot be condemned. I have fixed on my subject 
for the first Sunday — the Judgment of the Great Day. 
My intention is, to shew how the King's procession to 
St. Paul's may be of use, to direct our thoughts to 
some of the grand particulars when the King of Kings 
shall come. The parallel is striking — the mass of 
people immense — all pervaded with the same feelings 



WESLEY^S ERROR ABOUT PERFECTION. 443 

—all exalting" and extolling the same person, in whom 
all have a supreme interest. This spectacle, though 
but a poor little momentary thing compared with the 
Great Day, may yet serve to carry forward our 
thoughts to it. Then the Heavenly King shall come, 
with all His angels and saints, more than ten large 
capitals can comprehend — all of one heart and mind 
— all singing songs of sweetest melody, in love most 
fervent — all seeing the Saviour as He is ! Oh ! for 
" faith, the substance of things hoped for — the evidence 
of things not seen ¥* 

I am not sorry you have heard Mr. Wesley — - 
a very extraordinary man, but not to be believed 
in his assertions about perfection. It is an error, 
built upon false interpretation of some Scripture pas- 
sages, in flat contradiction to others which cannot be 
mistaken. It is an error, the Church of Christ has 
always condemned. It is an error, that matter of 
fact confronts. So far from being perfect, alas [ 
Christians fret, and quarrel, and fall out, and have so 
many faults, that if God, as Job speaks of himself, 
should contend with us, we could not, no not the best 
upon earth, answer Him, one of a thousand. " Behold ! 
I am vile \" belongs to all in the Church. — I hope you 
were not shaken in your mind. Never give absolute 
credit to what you hear from the pulpit, which is not 
proved by plain Scripture. How much more good 
would Mr. Wesley have done, had he not drunk in 
this error! as there are, doubtless, many very ex- 
cellent Christians amongst his people ; — but the best 
are sadly harassed by this false doctrine. 

Mr. Thornton sends me word, that Mr. Bentley 
has had a stroke of the palsy, and is very poorly. The 
God whom he serves will support and comfort him 



444 



his son's marriage to miss king. 



and his ; though the shock is great, at first, no doubt. 
The Lord God, good and gracious, and of great 
mercy to all who call upon Him, bless, preserve and 
keep you ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



In September 1789, another member was added to Mr. 
Venn's family, by the marriage of his son, Mr. John Venn, 
to Miss King, daughter of William King, esq., of Hull, and 
sister to the late Rev. George King, Prebendary of Ely. 
This lady had enjoyed the benefit of the friendship and Mi- 
nistry of Joseph Milner ; and so congenial were her senti- 
ments with those of her future husband, that Mr. Venn's 
letters contain many expressions of gratitude to the Giver of 
all good, for a connexion which, in every respect, promised 
a large accession of happiness. I subjoin a few extracts, in 
reference to this event. 



Yelling, Aug. 31, 1789. 
—We had the pleasure of hearing from my son. 
on Friday, that Miss King had agreed to crown his 
wishes, and take his name. No marriage can promise 
fairer. Thay both have one intention, one pursuit, 
one judgment of what is man's chief happiness ; and 
both are equally free from any sordid motives. How 
pleasing to reflect, that my son will be settled just 
before his aged parents finish their course ! Mr. 
Thornton, who has been applied to, by the mother, 
for my son's character, writes to me of the lady in 
these words: "Now all is sure, I congratulate you 
and your whole family in having Miss King one of 
you. She is indeed a treasure ; and will be an ex- 
ample to every one/' - 



CONFINEMENT FROM PUBLIC ORDINANCES. 445 



— ■ — Mr. Milner said, the other day, to my son: 
" Many ministers of the Gospel are sadly hindered by 
their wives, who are afraid their husbands should do 
too much, and cry, ' Oh ! spare yourself V You, Sir, 
have not this to fear : Miss King will be glad to see 
you wholly given up to your work, and full of zeal 
for God and for the salvation of sinners." 

TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Yelling, Oct. 14, 1789. 

I remembered you affectionately on the Lord's-day, 
as a confined Christian, debarred from worshipping 
the Lord with His Church. Your confinement arose 
from a temporary complaint; — your dear mother's, 
from infirmity, never to cease, but to grow more and 
more, till the fleshly fabric drops. My comfort re- 
specting you both was, that you hear Him that 
speaketh from heaven — speaketh to the heart, and 
manifests Himself to all who love Him, by His own 
Spirit working mightily within. By this means He 
is more precious to His afflicted people than to those 
who enjoy, in an ample manner, creature comforts. 
"Wherefore much more of spiritual benefit is very 
often gained by being cut off from the use of public 
ordinances, than from a constant attendance on them ; 
because our communion with God is increased. In 
heaviness, weakness, and pain, Christians think upon 
Him: and His comforts revive their hearts. They 
feel a living proof that his loving-kindness is better 
than life itself. — These were my thoughts on Sunday, 
respecting you and your dear mother. 

Tell dear Charles, we all thank him for his purpose 
to give the bride and bridegroom a meeting;, and 



446 



MR. BURNETT. 



bring you with him. This will be a great heightening 
of our pleasure; and I am daily .looking up for a 
blessing to crown the whole, by preserving us from 
lightness of mind, and from all the evil which is wont 
to mix in our conversation, and often sadly hurt us. 
Oh that a sweet cheerfulness may prevail ! the cheer- 
fulness of sober-minded Christians, thankful for all 
that we have enjoyed from the Divine bounty ; and, 
most of all, for spiritual blessings — for our new 
birth — our adoption into the family of Christ — our 
well-grounded hope of living in the perfection of 
holiness, and in the fervour of Divine love, when 
all selfishness shall be done away! — I am expecting 
every day a letter from Hull, fixing the time when 
we are to see them. 

On Monday, F left us. I was glad to hear 

Kitty say she was not without a sense of her souFs 
worth. She told her she would never forget, she 
hoped, the instructions she had heard. — So it should 
be in every Christian family, and eminently so in 
every Christian minister's. Whoever sojourns but a 
day with the members of Christ should perceive that 
to love and fear God is their joy. 

To-morrow I go to Cambridge, to meet Mr. Burnett 
and his wife, who return with me on Saturday ; and 
I conclude we shall have their company till Thursday 
following. Delightful friendship ! of more than thirty 
years 5 standing — steady and unalterable — not to be 
reflected on without gratitude to God, who giveth us 
to say, "All our delight is in the saints that are on 
the earth, and such as fear the Lord !" 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



A FAMILY MEETING. 



447 



Nov. 6, 1789. 

The bride and bridegroom have been with us 

one week, and will not leave us till after the next. 
I see a circle of my children around me, all smiling", 
and affectionate — all united with their aged parents 
in nearer and better ties than those of natural relation 
— all of one heart and mind, respecting good and 
evil, the way of life, the character of J ehovah, and of 
the people He has chosen for His inheritance. Short 
is our interview, and probably the last : for so it 
pleaseth our Heavenly Father to appoint, that after 
our children, the children of many prayers, are grown 
up, they are removed to a distance ; lest we should 
settle upon our lees, and give too much of our affec- 
tions to the children — defrauding Him who claims the 
whole heart for Himself. 

TO MRS. KING, 
(MOTHER OF MRS. JOHX VENN). 

Yelling, November, 1789. 
I will address myself to you, Dear Madam, with 
all the freedom which love of the same adorable ob- 
ject, and the same supreme desire in us both, suggest. 
It would be most contrary to our Christian profession, 
and to all gratitude, if we forgot your present trial, 
occasioned by the very acquisition which we so much 
wished — the union of your daughter with our family. 
The more we see of her, the more we are persuaded 
the high character given of her by all her friends is 
just ; and the prospect is very favourable indeed, that 
the bride and bridegroom will be of one heart and of 
one mind ; will be imitators of the primitive believers, 
eating their meat with gladness and singleness of 



448 SEPARATION OF DEAR RELATIVES. 

heart; and praising God, most of all, lor the gift 
of His Son — all the hope and peace of fallen man ! 
Such a cement of their affections will continue, like 
the cause producing it, firm to the end, and be both 
a comfort and a defence in all the vicissitudes of life. 

I am, like yourself, ready to wish the situation of 
our beloved children was near to us : and now the 
pleasant plants nurtured by us, and bringing forth 
fruit from the grace of Christ, would fill our hearts 
with joy on their account, it is a matter of regret that 
we shall see so little of them. But this regret must 
cease, when we consider it is the wise constitution of 
our condition in this present world, that dearest rela- 
tions should not dwell together, lest they should be 
entangled by inordinate affection, and take up their 
rest in each other, instead of in God. And I have 
found my heart more drawn out in presenting my ab- 
sent children, than in remembering those with me, 
before the Throne of Grace. Thus our love for them 
is more spiritual ; and with greater pleasure we an- 
ticipate the day when we shall be with the Lord for 
ever. 

I have to add, I consider your state of widowhood. 
It is a state to which God has shewn very peculiar 
respect. He has chosen to describe Himself by the 
endearing name, "the Father of the fatherless, and 
the God of the widow.' 5 The prayers of the Church 
are constantly ascending up for them : and He regards 
widows indeed, who trust in Him, as needing His pre- 
sence and comfort: while The Great Intercessor is 
' touched with a feeling of their infirmities remem- 
bering well the hour, when He beheld His own be- 
loved mother, a widow, at the foot of His cross — her 
heart pierced, as with a sword, by the death of her 



MR. RICHARD VENN^S ILLNESS. 



449 



son. Be assured you are by us all commended unto 
God's gracious care, in our family worship, daily. 

Your daughter will write to you to-morrow. She 
and her husband desire to be affectionately remem- 
bered to you. 

From your very humble servant, 

H. Venn. 



TO MR. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Jan. 8, 1790. 

We wait to hear how you and Eling go on, in 
point of health. We shall have much joy, and give 
thanks, on your return to London, if it please our 
Lord and Heavenly Father. My brother, Dr. Alvey 
thinks, is not likely ever to recover the use of his 
limbs *. However, he is very cheerful, and speaks, 
more than ever I heard him, on the great subject of 
Christ Crucified ; and believes he shall be in heaven, 
when he is called hence. It is a great blessing, that 
my wife is much better, and in charming spirits. 

On Monday, my affectionate friend Simeon walked 
over, and slept here. Oh ! how refreshing were his 
prayers ! how profitable his conversation ! We were 
all revived : he left a blessing behind him ! How 
shameful is our depravity, and how exceeding great, 
when we can be content to live without doing* good 
to the souls of men — call ourselves Christians, and 
constantly be in the House of our God, and not 
desire to instruct, to edify, to animate those with 
whom we converse ! They are the truly excellent of 

* Mr. Richard Venn had been visited, a short time before, with 
a stroke of the palsy. 

G G 



450 



MR. SIMEON. 



the earth, its salt, who, wherever they go, reach the 
heart and conscience, and excite the devout wish, 
' Oh, that I may follow Christ, like these true-hearted 
disciples V He preaches twice a-week, in a large 
room. My new daughter attended there, when I 
preached ; and his people are indeed of an excellent 
spirit — merciful, loving, and righteous. My servant 
Thomas was much affected, when he was amongst 
them. They spoke to him in such a spirit, that he 
wished to live amongst them ; and thought he should 
then grow in grace, fast. 

We all send love to you both; and wish you to 
flourish in the courts of the Lord's House, and 
answerably to all the advantages the Church of 
Christ enjoys, in point of knowledge and revelation of 
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If you are prevented paying us a visit, which we 
hope will not be the case, then we shall be obliged to 
you to send the parcel for my brother. 

Now to Him, who is " as rivers of waters in a dry 
place/' I commend you. May He be exceedingly 
precious to you both ! May you love one another in 
Him, and for His sake ; and dwell in love, till we all 
meet before Him in the world of love, without end ! 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Yelling, Jan. 28, 1790. 

Whether it be in reality, or only in appearance, a 
longer time than usual since you wrote, I am not 
certain ; but we feel it the more, and therefore it 
seems longer, on account of our affliction. Indeed 



DECLINING HEALTH OF HIS FAMILY. 451 

we are tried ; and I trust shall not be forsaken, so 
far as to lose that evenness and composure of spirit 
which is justly expected from all who love God, 
whatever be their sufferings. 

My dear brother is, in .the general state of his 
health, as w r ell as ever, but quite helpless. Your 
mother has been confined to her room, but now 
comes down. Jane has been ill, but is better. Kitty 
and Ruth very poorly. We were for a little time 
afraid Jane was going to have a fever, and then 
began to feel exceedingly; but this cross was not 
sent. I have gone from one chamber to another, 
visiting my sick; and have not had more than two 
in family worship ; and some Sundays, only one out 
of the house at church. Yet the Lord is good to us : 
we do not faint. He is a strong-hold in this time of 
our trouble. He suggests to our minds those truths, 
which assuage the pain, and fortify the soul to bear 
up against the pressure of evil ; namely, what we 
deserve — w r hat our brethren and sisters in Christ are 
suffering — the end for which the rod is appointed — 
the benefit it brings to the afflicted in due time — and, 
above all, the deep sorrows of our God and Saviour. 

To these topics our thoughts are turned : and 
when, in family prayer, we can feel though but a 
little measure of self-abasement, our spirits are re- 
vived. I look with tender pity on my two children, 
and feel much for them. However, the promise is 
theirs : " It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his 
youth/' In appearance, all is very dismal for them ; 
but admirable is the fruit, when they sink down in 
silence and humiliation before the Lord ; waiting 
upon Him, as just and good, wounding and healing. 
Knowledge of His name, obtained in this conflict, is 
g g 2 



452 



TO LADY FITZGERALD 



never lost : it is mighty in operation, effectually sobers 
the mind, and keeps us, as soldiers under arms, pre- 
pared for the assault of our restless foes. 

To my great surprise, I this moment hear my 
brother is got into your mamma's room, by the help 
of Thomas. He thinks he shall yet come down 
again. Amazingly strong is our love of life — even 
of the very dregs of life ! 

Your most affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 
MADAM, Yelling, March 22, 1790. 

, It was exceedingly kind in you to write so fully 
respecting my dear friend, and her love, most unde- 
served, to me and my children*. It is some relief 
to a mind burdened with her liberality, that, with 
more gratitude than my heart can feel here, I shall 
know, and love, my benefactors in the Promised 
Land. There, all the glorified saints not only do 
love one another as they love themselves ; but know 
they do, beyond the possibility of doubt. 

Your letter bathed my eyes in tears, to think of the 
several merciful circumstances in our dear sister's 
departure. How often I have heard her express her 
apprehensions of the awful hour of her dissolution, 
and tremble as she approached the verge of eternity ! 
But our good and gracious Lord pities and indulges 
us in things not necessary to our salvation, only for 
our consolation and ease. In my last visit, I con- 

* Lady Smy the, who bequeathed pecuniary legacies to Mr. Venn 
and to each of his children ; and the Advowson of Bidborough, Kent, 
to Mr. John Venn. 



ON THE DEATH OF LADY SMYTHE. 453 

gratulated her on her good appearance ; observing, 
the Gospel preached at Bidborough was a medicine 
which gave her strength and spirits. And I thought 
I should rejoice in her company more than before, 
from her cheerfulness of spirit, when I came to 
London. I do rejoice, while I grieve. In her 
present existence I rejoice ; in which she possesses the 
vast recompence of her warfare, in the love of her 
Great Leader, the Author and Finisher of her salva- 
tion. When I read your letter, I had all my children, 
but Mrs. Elliott, round me, who were melted also 
into tears. Her regard for me, during thirty-three 
years, was from a firm belief I was in earnest serving 
the Lord. Oh, that it may be found so ! Nothing 
can be conceived so dreadful, as a hypocrite in the garb 
of a pastor and teacher ! Well may we cry to all 
who love us, and our Master, " Brethren, pray for us ! M 

Be so kind as to return my best thanks to Miss 
Lambert, for her good-will to me. I will make the 
only return in my power — recommend her at the 
Throne of Grace. I have already, very particularly. 
I truly sympathize with her ; and remember how 
often I have seen her departed friend, with close 
attention, listen to her Christian discourse. 

I shall see you, and the little circle, in a few days 
— not without emotion. Soon our meetings will be 
transferred to the heavenly mansions ; but there re- 
membered as elementary institutions, in which the 
same Name that fills heaven with adoration and bliss 
was the Name we were always seeking to know. — 
I beg my best respects to the two sisters : and, wishing 
you a fulness of peace, I remain, 

Your much and long-indebted servant, 

H. Venn. 



454 



PROSPECT OF PREACHING IN LONDON. 



In May 1790, Mr. Venn went up to London, to preach, 
for a few Sundays, at Surrey Chapel. In the prospect of this 
work, he writes (April 9, 1790) : 

Next week I go to town, on that arduous and 
glorious business of preaching the Name of Jesus to 
thousands of immortal souls. Oh ! who is sufficient 
for these things ! 



In a subsequent Letter (June 22, 1790) he writes: 

On the 13th, I took my final leave of the Chapel,, 
addressing myself to a great multitude, from Heb. x. 
23 : " Let us hold fast the profession of our faith 
without wavering : for He is faithful, that promised. y * 
— My work is nearly ended ; for my mental faculties 
kre very dull, and my bodily strength greatly reduced. 



TO MRS. JOHN VENN. 
MY BELOVED DAUGHTER. London, Map 20, 1 790. 

Before you set out on your short voyage *, I take 
my pen, to wish, as I pray, that it may be for your 
health and your husband's — that the wind may be 
favourable. And may the Holy ever blessed Spirit 
breathe upon you both, and help you to see your 
Father and your God in the canopy of heaven and the 
vast ocean ; and in sweet meditation may your hearts 
anticipate the glorious scene which death shall unveil 
to your admiring eyes, when you come " to the haven 
where you would be 33 \ 



* From Lynn to Hull. 



MR. PARRY. MR. THORNTON. 455 

I am much obliged to my son for his invitation to 
Dunham. Nothing would give me more pleasure 
than to pay a visit there : and, if circumstances will 
permit, I shall do it ; — but this is very doubtful. I 
lose my strength ; and am overdone by what I did last 
year without much fatigue. 

This morning dear Mr. Parry breakfasted with us, 
and satisfied many inquiries we made concerning his 
family and yourselves. What a distinguishing bless- 
ing, that, in these licentious and infidel times, you 
and my son should have two such friends for your 
friends — your friends in the love of Jesus, an un- 
changeable Friend, and our life for evermore. 

Pray say for me every thing that is most kind and 
affectionate to your dear parent. I could indeed 
rejoice to sail with you, destined to the port of Hull, 
where so many dwell who are my very dear and near 
relations.- — Remember me to Miss Howard, whom I 
salute in the Lord, and never remember without lifting 
up my heart for her best interests. 

On Wednesday, I hurried down to Clapham, to 
see Mr. Thornton, who has been suffering greatly 
from an accident which caused a great loss of blood. 
However, he is now in good spirits, and has had two 
good nights. Still he may feel serious consequences, 
and his life, seemingly so important to us, be brought 
to an end. I write by the post, sooner than send by 
dear Mr. Parry ; as I am uncertain whether you may 
not set sail next week. We shall hope for a letter, a 
post or two after you are in Hull. Direct for me in 
London. Charles and Eling desire to be remembered. 
I have received my son's sermon, and shall take all 
care of it. My love to him. 



456 



TRUST IN PROVIDENCE. 



The Lord Omnipresent bless and preserve you, and 
establish us all in Christ, and give us to press forwards 
without weariness ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MR. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Aug 5, 1790. 

If you have received the two letters I have written 
to Eling, since I left town, I shall stand clear of the 
charge of neglecting you. Letter-writing is indeed 
now become burdensome : you will therefore conclude 
I shall write less frequently. What a felicity, that 
prayer for each other is never intermitted ! What a 
rich and abundant provision is made for us, by allow- 
ing, encouraging, nay, commanding us to commit all 
near and dear to us, and in whose preservation and 
welfare we are so deeply concerned, into our Heavenly 
Father's hands ! By this constant prayer, not only our 
faith grows, and our experience of God's love for us, 
but the love of our family, and confidence of Divine 
mercy towards them. When I call to mind the way 
in which I have been led for more than thirty years, 
I stand amazed at the peace and quietness of mind 
I enjoyed whilst my children were so young, and 
there was no visible place of refuge for them, had 
I been called away ! The Lord was pleased to give 
me a single eye. His favour only I asked for them 
and myself : His wrath revealed against sin I depre- 
cated — petitions which he never refuses, because His 
own Spirit suggests them. What anxieties are in 
this way avoided ! What is our part, we do cheer- 
fully ; and thankfully receive His kindnesses. 



DEATH OF MR. THORNTON. 



457 



Tell dear Eling" I was delighted to hear how she 
was supported, and the rising impatience of her mind 
soon sweetly subdued. It was a memorable time of 
love. She is blessed, glory to God! with a spiri- 
tual husband, whose value is most sensibly felt in 
time of trouble, as an intercessor for his dear wife, 
when discomposed and ready to faint. Oh ! the dear 
affection such prayers beget and increase ! 

I was low and uneasy about yesterday. Mr. 

Simeon did me " good, like a medicine and his 
prayer with me took off the weight which lay heavy 
upon me. He calls me his father : he pours out his 
prayer for me, as an instrument from whose counsel 
he has profited ; and was as fervent and importunate 
with God for me, as my son or yourself. Oh ! what 
am I, that I should be so distinguished ? Love to 
you and your Eliza. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



In the month of November, 1790, occurred the death of 
John Thornton, esq. To this event there are many allusions 
in the Letters written about this time. 



— — I have very sensibly felt the loss of my old 
affectionate friend, John Thornton, after an intimacy 
of thirty-six years, from his first receiving Christ, till 
he took his departure, with a convoy of angels, to see 
Him who so long had been all his salvation and all 
his desire. Few of the followers of the Lamb, it may 
be very truly said, have ever done more to feed the 



458 



DEATH OF MR. THORNTON. 



hungry, clothe the naked, and help all that suffer 
adversity, and to spread the savour of the knowledge 
of Christ Crucified ! 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Nov. 28, 1790. 

I stayed till the post came in this day, hoping to 
receive another letter : — but there is none. How- 
ever, this may be owing to the neglect of the post. 
Oh ! what a Christian is your dear wife ! and how 
truly does she deserve all that has been said of her ! 
Never was I more affected — never more thankful to 
God our Saviour.* 

To-morrow I go to London. My sister Gambier 
is likely soon to depart ; and her husband would not 
ask me, at this time of the year, to come up; but 
took a very affecting method, by sending, in a letter, 
the measure of her arm above her wrist — a sufficient 
proof of her poor emaciated frame. I go entirely to 
pay her a farewell visit. Oh! that I could feel a 
strong concern for her; and be qualified, by the 
Spirit of God, to be a comforter to her heart, and an 
instrument of helping an affectionate sister, just 
passing over J ordan ! 

The post brought me to-day a letter from Mr. S. 
Thornton ; in which he says, in reference to the 
death of his father, " I earnestly pray that his children 
may follow him in his faith and practice ; and may 
their latter end be like his! — which was indeed 
glorious, through the power of Him who hath con- 

* Mrs. J. Venn had suffered very severely during her confinement 
but exhibited a remarkable degree of Christian patience. 



mr. Thornton's church patronage. 459 

quered death and the grave. My dear father has 
left you a legacy of 50Z. He had named you a 
trustee for his church patronage, in a former will ; 
but the change was made for your son, as a younger 
life." A ring also was inclosed in the letter. I shall 
eye it often with a mournful pleasure. No such 
memorial was needful to remind me of my oldest 
friend on earth but one. My parlour, my study, 
yourself, and his liberal donations to me for many 
years, are memorials never to be effaced. 

Our love to your dear Kitty ; and to her beloved 
mother, for whom I have felt much. How do we 
long to hear it has pleased God to restore some 
strength to her, and to the little stranger ! Love to 
Mr. and Mrs. Parry. Was ever a more pure and 
Christian affection ! What a proof of that truth has 
my dear daughter felt ! — " I take pleasure in distresses, 
that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It was, 
as she supposed, at evening, morning, and noon-day, 
1 was ever remembering you and her. 

You are now, my dear son, called into greater 
notice. It is a high honour the glorified saint has 
put upon you*. Watch and pray for more wisdom 
and grace ; which you will need, in making your 
choice, if any vacancy happens. It is a hard matter, 
indeed, to act with a disinterested spirit. 

Let us know how the Lord is pleased to deal with 
you. May He be with your spirit ; and do as much 

* Mr. Thornton left the patronage of several livings to the dispo- 
sal of three Clergymen, as Trustees, of whom Mr. John Venn was one, 
in order ,to secure the appointment of proper Incumbents. He also 
named other Clergymen, who were to succeed, in a certain order, to 
the trust, upon the death of the first Trustees. The patronage was 
eventually to revert to Mr. Thornton's heirs. 



460 



LAST HOURS OF MR. THORNTON. 



for us all as He has done for your Kitty — swallow up 
our self-will, in a love that His will should be done 
in us, by us, and upon us ! All send their love. 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MISS JANE C. VENN. 
MY DEAR JANE, London, Dec. 3, 1790. 

On Wednesday I went to Camberwell ; and found 
my poor sister better than I supposed she was, from 
my brother's letter; so that there was no absolute 
necessity for my journey on her account. 

However, I rejoice I am come, to see the children 
of my dear departed friend, John Thornton, and to 
hear of his life, acts of love, and death ; many par- 
ticulars of which I could not have heard at home. 
Some of these I send you now, which I received 
from the nurse who attended him. She said: "To 
see the sons, the day before he died, weeping tears of 
grief and love, and to hear the dying saint affectio- 
nately exhort and press each to hold fast the faith, and 
to lead the life of a Christian, was to the last degree 
affecting. They asked him whether he was now happy : 
6 Yes/ said he, * happy in Jesus : all things are as 
well as they can be V And the last words he was 
able to articulate were, ' Precious, precious . . . ! ' 
Jesus would have been added, but his breath failed." 
— Lady Balgonie did not see him for three days 
before he died. She was herself seized with a scarlet 
fever, of a very infectious sort : her children and 
her servants all were ill of it, nearly at the same 
time. 

Last Sunday but one, dear Mr. Foster preached at 
Camberwell his funeral sermon, on that text, " Blessed 



mr. Thornton's munificence. 461 

are the dead which die in the Lord !" Mr Newton 
also preached at his own church ; and told his hearers 
Mr. Thornton had given away, in acts of love and 
mercy, 100,000/. But the fact is, 150,000/. would be 
nearer the truth, or an estate of 6000L a-year. He 
has died worth no more than 150,000/. 

At Mr. Henry Thornton's request, I spend, God 
willing, the next Lord's-day with him, and speak 
at the old house : — " Not," says Mr. Wilberforce, 
"to a mourning family ; but to a family who has 
abundant cause to rejoice and sing !" 

I have again altered my plan, and shall not come 
down till Friday. The Lord bless, preserve, and 
keep you ! and, if it be His good will, may we meet 
again with stronger desires to love and glorify our 
Saviour more than ever ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



TO MRS. JOHN VENN. 

MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Yelling, Jan. 29, 1791. 

Dearer and dearer still you are to every one of 
our family, as well as to myself : and though I have 
not, for months past, done myself the pleasure of 
writing to you, you have been constantly in my mind, 
with a strong sympathy with you in all your trials 
and supports, your conflicts and victory. Had not 
my own illness prevented, I should three weeks sooner 
have written, to let you know how much we all 
reckon upon your visit, with your beloved mother. 
It will be a right Christian visit, I trust ; a union of 
hearts engaged in the noblest service, desiring all the 



462 EXAMPLE OF PIOUS RESIGNATION. 

same thing — to love and to serve our Redeemer 
better all the days of our life. 

My indisposition was an alarming one — a paralytic 
affection, with which I was taken in the pulpit, on 
the Sunday before Christmas-day. I am now called 
to a state of passive obedience. I cannot speak nor 
pray, nor do any thing as I used to do. I am come 
to the days of darkness; but not of dejection; — for 
why should not Christians be afraid of dejection, as 
they are of murmuring and complaining ? Surely we 
may comfort ourselves, that our health and sickness, 
not less than our life and death, are all in the disposal 
of the Lord over All, rich in mercy to all who call on 
Him. If these things were left to us, how would 
fond relations ever know when it was time to let us 
go ? Behold the tender partiality of a husband and 
wife for each other, or of both for a beloved child, or 
of a friend that is nearer than a brother I However 
needful a fit of sickness might be in such cases, it 
would never come ; much less, should death separate. 
The sovereign power, therefore, is lodged in better 
hands. 

In my late attack, I was much comforted to see 
my beloved wife, daughter, and brother, possess such 
a calmness and composure of mind. I was appre- 
hensive they w ould have been overwhelmed with fear ; 
but, on the contrary, they behaved like Christians — 
they were cheerful. It was the will of God; and 
they acquiesced. This made me hope that, should it 
be the adorable will of Heaven to take me from them, 
they will find Christ Jesus the Lord their light, and 
the strength of their life. We attribute this illness to 
my frequent exertions in London. — I am yet to learn 
a little of Pythagoras's discipline. Silent I cannot 



MR. JOHN THORNTON. 



463 



be ! — but, I observe, Pythagoras had not Redemption 
to talk of. 

When in town, it was pleasing to hear only of one 
subject, in all the serious circles — the Beloved Gaius *, 
and all His goodness : and the grace, from whence it 
all flowed, was in every one's mouth. 

All join with me in love to yourself, your dear 
mother, and husband. The Righteous Branch reign 
over you ! May you know you are saved, and dwell 
safely ! From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

MY DEAR SON, Yelling, March 4, 1791. 

Pray return your dear Kitty many thanks for her 
last letter; the best — for the same reason Cicero 
pronounces one of Demosthenes" Orations to be so — 
because the longest I have ever received from her. 

We have the very same feelings here that you 
have — desiring much to have your company ; and I 
hope it will be so contrived, that my necessary visit 
to London, in the latter end of April, will not in- 
terfere with your design. Sooner than have your 
visit put otf, I would make mine in London as short 
as possible : as it is, I design only to be absent three 
Sundays. 

Your observations, on the declining state of health 
of so many of your relations, I like much ; and the 
conclusion you draw is truly Christian-like. I waked 
the other morning in a most pleasing contempla- 
tion — of which my mind was full — on that promised 



* John Thornton, 



464 " KNOWING EVEN AS WE ARE KNOWN." 

felicity, " We shall know even as we are known/ 5 
Then, thought I, we shall know, fully and completely, 
what was our ruin — the means and method of our 
recovery, the Author of it all — our utter unworthi- 
ness — and the vast treasures of felicity we are put in 
possession of, never to be lost, as Adam's noble heri- 
tage was. 

My dear wife evidently grows weaker. Your uncle 
is worse. I am quite well myself : my chief trial is, 
to check the activity of my spirit, which far exceeds 
my strength. I know not how to pass an hour sitting 
still ; but the flesh, weighed down with years, will not 
bear work as in former time. The author of the ex- 
cellent Sermon on Mr. Thornton's death is Mr. Scott, 
of the Lock. — Pray, when you write to Mr. Grant, 
tell him I hope he received my Memoir of Sir J ohn 
Barnard. I sent him a copy in December. 

I thank you, my dear son, for Mr. Adam's work : 
it is a fine copy, and some excellent things there are 
in it : but they formerly knew not how to digest their 
matter; and the mixture continually of Latin, and 
often Greek, is unpleasant : however, the sermons 
upon the Church I esteem excellent. 

My sister Bishop's joy in death, when she was 
remarkably destitute of consolations all her life 
through, was very delightful to hear ; and I trust it 
will please our Lord to lift up the light of His coun- 
tenance upon your dear mother, before He takes her 
to himself! 

Ruth is quite well ; and doubly attached to us, 
after her long absence. She is indeed as a daugh- 
ter: no creature living* can be more thankful on 
account of the favour shewn her. Oh ! what comfort 
and mutual satisfaction do masters and sevants lose, 



MR. NEWTON. 



465 



when there is no Christian love, no union in the 
Redeemer ! 

Our best love to your mother and Kitty, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Parry. Tell the squire I hope yet to strike 
a blow or two more upon the head of the Antinomians 
in London, though I have not voice enough to fill 
Surrey Chapel again. 

Dear Simeon (now Mr. Vice-Provost) paid us a 
visit, and slept here last Wednesday but one He 
gives a charming account of Mr. Newton ; who made 
me quite ashamed of my little scrawl to him upon 
his wife's death, by writing in return, a very long, 
excellent, and most affectionate letter to me. How 
am I distinguished, by a wife, children, relations, and 
friends ! I may truly say, " the lot is fallen to me 
in a fair ground; yea, I have a goodly heritage." 
Only pray I may not be utterly ungrateful. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, July 12,1791. 
It is, I think, a long time, my dear friend, since 

I heard from Sutton. I wrote to dear P the 

19th of May ; which letter, I trust, reached her in 
time, before her natal day. I will yield to none but 
those in her own house, in degree of love, and prayer 
for every good thing which the God of her father 
and her mother hath promised to them that love 
Him. 

I write now, to give you my diary since my last. 
Admire, my beloved friend, my unshaken resolution ' 
Never, during the long space of forty years, did 

H H 



466 VISIT TO CAMBRIDGE AND LONDON. 

I ever visit the great city, before last May, and for 
weeks, and yet not once appear in a pulpit; but 
withdrawing from the sacred office of pastor and 
teacher, retired into the ranks of a hearer during four 
Sundays ; — and much edified and comforted I was. 

I returned last Friday three weeks, and was very 
far from continuing my good resolution. On Sunday 
fortnight, I preached, as if I had been quite strong, 
very much indeed at liberty, an hour and ten minutes. 
And again, on the Tuesday following, I preached at 
Cambridge for dear Simeon ; whither I went to meet 
Mr. Newton, and invite him over to visit us ; which 
he did most kindly, the week following : and in the 
mean time, on the Saturday and on the Sunday 
following, I lost my speech ; and, to satisfy my wife 
and daughter, I sent over for a physician. Thanks be 
to my God, the attack was gentle and transitory ! On 
Sunday last, I preached with comfort and liberty on a 
text (shame be to me !) I never spoke from before. It 
is one of those texts which hath great complaints 
against Gospel ministers, for neglecting it wholly. 
You will find it in Eccles. ii. 26.* 

In London, I met with great affection amongst my 
friends and relations. I have half a curate now, and 
soon shall have one entirely. I am doing what I can 
to get one ; but we have no convenience for lodging 
any gentleman. I am past my labour ; and frequently 
feel so dull in my faculties, and so unable to speak 
for want of strength in my chest, that I think I offer, 
in the church, " the torn, and the lame, and the sick 

* " For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and 
knowledge, and joy : but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and 
to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God, This 
also is vanity and vexation of spirit." 



DEATH OF MR. RICHARD VENN. 467 

and I have long been of another judgment decidedly 
— that it is proper to retire, if we live till we come to 
the dregs oflife. 

My dear wife is extremely feeble, and my brother 
requires two men to get him up ; but both are beau- 
tified with meekness, and are patterns in the furnace. 
We are dealt with bountifully ! 

Yours, &c. 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 

m ? : ♦ 

Yelling, Sept. 27, 1791. 

It is my dear Eling's turn to have a letter ; and 
I know the dregs of my pen are welcome to you. 

My dear brother is exceedingly reduced ; and from 
day to day we expect his dissolution. He cannot 
speak. The doctor thinks it most probable he will 
fall asleep ; and not know when the messenger comes 
to bring him the joyful tidings, that all his sorrows 
and sufferings are ended. There is not the least 
probability that he will be with us when you receive 
this. Thus his earnest prayer is heard ; which was, 
to go before me : and your mother believes that it 
was owing to my illness that his was increased. It 
is a solemn season ; and I find it good to be alone, 
in a dark chamber, presenting my dying brother to 
my God and Saviour, " who hath tasted death for all 
believers, and hath opened to them the kingdom of 
heaven." Compared with such solemn thoughtful- 
ness, amusements and pleasures of sense are poor 
things indeed! There is no greater delusion than 
that which the multitude embrace, when they are 
confident that the happy men and women are those 
h h 2 



468 DEATH OF MR. RICHARD VENN. 

only who figure in the circles of the gay and bril- 
liant, and go on without restraint in a career of self- 
indulgence. So far is this from the truth, that 
solemn meditation on things unseen and eternal, 
and sweet peace, and lively hope, amidst our dear 
dying relations in Christ, afford the most solid 
satisfaction. 

I am glad that dear Jane is not with us. She will 
know how to be thankful that her affectionate uncle 
never wanted the most tender care and attention to 
his infirmities. I hope ever to be mindful of my 
servant Thomas's kind treatment of him. 

God has been very gracious to me in the curate * 
He has provided for my people. On Sunday he 
preached twice: his first sermon on Isa. lv. 1.; his 
second, on John iii. 36. He is modest and humble, 
and bears an excellent character. The people are 
much taken with him. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

P. S. This minute my brother has breathed his 
last. He had no pangs in his death. Thanks be to 
God! 



In several Letters written about this date, Mr. Venn 
alludes to a visit which he paid to Mr. Berridge, " the vene- 
rable pastor of Everton." In one of them, he thus describes 
the interview. 



* The Rev. Maurice Evans ; who remained curate of Yelling till 
Mr. Venn's death ; and then undertook the neighbouring curacy ot 
Eltisley ; from whence he removed into Wales. 



MR. BERRIDGE, IN OLD AGE. 



469 



I lately visited my dear brother Berridge. His 
sight is very dim, his ears can scarcely hear, and his 
faculties are fast decaying ; so that, if he continues 
any time, he may outlive the use of them. But, in 
this ruin of his earthly tabernacle, it is surprising to 
see the joy in his countenance, and the lively hope 
with which he looks for the day of hi3 dissolution. 
In his prayer with me and my children (for two of 
them accompanied me), we were much affected by 
his commending himself to the Lord, as quite alone, 
not able to read, or hear, or do any thing ; — " but if 
I have, Lord/' said he, " Thy presence and love, that 
sufficeth V s 



TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON. 
MY DEAR FRIEND, Yelling, Jan3, 1792. 

Yesterday, with great pleasure, we received your 
very generous relief for my poor neighbours ; and 
I now write to return you grateful thanks, in my own 
name, as well as in that of the people. 

This festival- week we are rejoiced with the pro- 
spect; — coals, clothing, and meat, are distributed. 
To the Parsonage, as to a house of mercy, the 
poor should resort in their distresses : and though we 
see them little more disposed to receive the Gospel 
by acts of kindness and love to them, yet their 
opposition to it dies away ; and some are reformed, 
and restrained from setting the evil example they 
did. At all events, the merciful do receive mercy, 
and their own souls are made fat. How often, 
when my heart has been cold and dead — when I 
could not pray or meditate for days together — have I 
been quickened, by the loving-kindness of the Lord, 



470 EXCELLENCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 

upon doing something kind and loving for a fellow- 
creature, and more especially for a fellow-Christian ! 
This is highly necessary to be noted, and frequently 
dwelt upon in Christian conversation, because of 
the gross selfishness that is interwoven in our fallen 
souls. We are very prone to turn the doctrines of 
grace into poison ; not only predestination, and 
election, final perseverance, and particular redemp- 
tion, but, no less, justification by faith only, and the 
pardon of all our sins by the blood of the Lamb. It 
is therefore a great comfort when I see and hear 
of my Christian friends, that they are glad to dis- 
tribute, and willing to communicate. Were there 
but one thousand loving Christians of great opu- 
lence, in Britain, like-minded with John Thorn ton ? 
lately gone to heaven, the nation would be judged 
and convinced of the good operation of the GospeL 
Indeed, I sometimes indulge the joyful hope, that 
the Philadelphian state is approaching, when Chris- 
tians shall be as much distinguished by their bowels 
of compassion, and active love, as by their creed. 

Will you crown your kindness to me by a visit ? 
I am weak and withering away, but content and 
cheerful. I can read but little — write less ; and my 
intellectual faculties are benumbed. I seldom stir 
out. Oh what a change will perfect health, immortal 
vigour, and spotless purity, be to my poor soul ! 

Mrs. Venn and Jane send love to you and alF 
friends ; as I do. 

Yours, 

H. Venn. 



THE PLACING OF MINISTERS. 



471 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, Jan. 7, 1792. 
— — -The placing ministers is one of the chief pre- 
rogatives of our Lord and Head. His thoughts and 
ways in this matter are totally different from ours. 
Hence we see several of His pastors and teachers in 
spheres very unfit for them, as it appears ; — men of 
abilities, zeal, and application, preaching to a hand- 
ful of peasants ; — others, without talents, in places of 
great resort, amongst men of education. But every 
mouth must be stopped ; and no inquiry is allowed, 
why He doeth so or so. Our business is indisputably 
plain — " Work while it is day." Be zealous and pure 
from the blood of all men, whether you speak to 
one hundred or some thousands. None more glo- 
rify God than patient satisfied pastors, who never 
admit the thought of choosing for themselves. You 
write the very truth, when you write, " I rejoice 
now particularly that I am not my own, nor, in 
respect of my situation in life, am left to my own 
choice." 



About this time, Mr. John Venn began the formation of a 
Clerical Society, amongst a few zealous but distantly- situated 
Ministers, who were to meet twice a year at Little Dunham, 
for the purpose of mutual consultation and encouragement. 
The prosecution of this scheme called forth his activity and 
zeal, and opened a prospect of more extensive usefulness than 
the situation of Little Dunham had hitherto promised. The 
following Letter was written in allusion to this circumstance. 



472 



USEFULNESS IS ALL, IN CHRISTIANS. 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Jan. 20, 1792. 

I have just finished your precious letter. How am 
I called upon to cry out, " What am I, that I should 
ever live to see my prayers for a beloved child, a son, 
a Gospel minister, now more than ever answered ! 3> 
Usefulness is all, in Christians. 

I am now at the age of sixty-seven, lamenting" how 
very little I have done for God and man, compared 
with what I might have done, had I been active in 
doing good, as I ought. I could not help clapping 
my hands, and singing, " Hallelujah ! hallelujah f . ** 
with a most joyful heart, when I had read your 
letter. 

Your visit here, as circumstances are, I would by 
no means have the joy of receiving ; for it is not in 
the order of Providence. I am not at all solicitous 
for your removal from your present situation ; now 
you are endued, like the disciples at Jerusalem, with 
power from on high. Your proposal of meeting twice 
a year is from above. Your usefulness is indeed 
enlarging. 

With fervent wishes for your growth in grace, 
I am yours, &c. 

H. Venn 



In a subsequent Letter, written to Mr. John Venn, I find 
the following animated address to the Members of the Cle- 
rical Society, upon their first meeting together. 



ADDRESS TO A CLERICAL SOCIETY. 473 



Though pressed for time, I cannot but send 

you, and your dear fellow-labourers in Christ's great 
Cause, the wishes of my heart respecting you all ; as 
I cannot make one of your meeting. I hope the 
letter will come before you part. 

I wish you may covet earnestly the best gifts and 
all the fruits of the Spirit; knowing you are to be 
examples of the truth of God's promises, and of the 
power of His grace to all your people. I wish you to 
be ever diligently employing yourselves in some good 
work, either respecting the bodies or the souls of men, 
that the slothful and lukewarm may be convinced and 
quickened by your example. I wish you to consider 
yourselves as the friends, the fathers, of the poor and 
needy; not only appointed to instruct, and preach 
unto them words whereby they may be saved, but to 
be at much pains to supply their wants. This, I am 
persuaded, gives the greatest weight to sound doc- 
trine ; and exhibits, in a strong light, the good- will to 
men which should abound in the ministers of Christ. 
I wish you to value time and retirement : these are 
necessary, in order to gain, by much reading and 
prayer, more clear and enlarged views of God and His 
salvation, and a fulness of matter in preaching which 
cannot otherwise be attained. I wish you wisdom 
and skill to be cheerful, without levity ; and, without 
affectation, to give a profitable turn to conversation ; 
evidently shewing, that " out of the abundance of the 
heart your mouth speaketh." — I shall be with you in 
Spirit. 



474 



LAST ILLNESS, 



In the month of February 1792, Mrs. Venn's health began 
to decline rapidly. The following Extract and Letters will 
furnish an affecting picture of her state of mind, and of the 
last scenes of her sufferings. 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

Yelling, March 16, 1792. 

There is no material change in your dear 

mother, though Mr. Simeon thinks she is much 
altered. — We are called to pray without ceasing. 
I find a rich blessing in this affliction. I feel more 
deeply my poverty and my dependence upon the 
Lord; and the spirit of prayer is increased. And 
while the Lord is pleased to keep from me the utter- 
most distress I should be in, if dear Jane should be 
ill, I can be cheerful. One of the exceeding great 
and precious promises, which I had overlooked before, 
is now opened to my mind, and pleaded by me before 
the Throne of Grace, with great expectation. It is in 
a very favourite Psalm of mine, the 37th, which you 
have heard me expound many times ; and runs in 
these words, verses 18, 19 : " The upright shall not be 
ashamed in the evil time" — of suffering, from con- 
finement, sickness, and pain (as Lazarus was said to 
have received " evil" things when he was afflicted in 
his body); " and in the days of famine" — that is, 
when no creature-comfort can be enjoyed — "they 
shall be satisfied," from the knowledge of God, and 
fellowship with Him. So I abundantly find it, in my 
present state. I see my dear companion, my other 
self, dying daily ; and am perfectly resigned. — 



AND DEATH, OF MRS. VENN. 



475 



TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 

Yelling, March 29, 1792. 

MY DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER, 

I have some of the best news to impart. One 
beloved by you both, and who delighted in you, has 
accomplished her warfare, has received an answer to 
all her prayers, and everlasting joy rests upon her 
head. My dear wife, the source of my best earthly 
comfort for twenty years, departed on Tuesday. 

Our prayers and hers were heard at large ; and 
many circumstances of tender mercy and loving- 
kindness have been vouchsafed. We were much 
afraid, from what the physicians said, that she would 
suffer extreme pain; but this trial was spared us. 
She was confined to her chamber eight weeks, and 
to her bed only six days, yet without a murmuring 
word. Sorely distressed in her soul for her sins, 
yet nevertheless all submission and acquiescence, 
humbling herself, and praying continually ; she could 
hardly believe that she had saving faith, because she 
loved Christ no more, and served Him no better, and 
was not more zealous of good works. It rejoiced 
therefore our hearts, to hear her say, two days before 
she left us : "I hope I do not deceive myself: I hope 
I am. not too sanguine : I shall now go to Christ : He 
is now with my spirit. — It is not possible for me to 
tell you (she proceeded) what distress I have gone 
through, from a sense of my own vileness." The 
change of her frame of mind was painted in her pale, 
emaciated countenance : and while Jane, Ruth, and 
myself, stood around her, she literally fell asleep, 
without our perceiving when she drew her last breath. 



476 MR. J. VENN PRESENTED TO CLAPHAM. 

Verily, God hath heard our prayer, and hath not 
turned His mercy from us ! 

I have lost as excellent a wife as I can figure to 
myself; and with her, a considerable part of my 
income : yet I am light and glad of heart, in full 
assurance of her salvation, and that I shall certainly 
soon follow her. Jane is much affected, having lost 
so tender a mother, and so wise a counsellor. She 
bears her cross nobly, without a brother, sister or 
companion, but her aged infirm father. Though 
quite alone, we are not desolate. — We both beg you 
will accept our warmest wishes for your best welfare. 
Your affectionate and much indebted, 

H. Venn. 



In April, 1792, the Rectory of Clapham in Surrey became 
vacant, which was one of the livings in the patronage of the 
Trustees under Mr. Thornton's will. There was a specific 
direction respecting this living — that the Rev. Henry Foster 
should have the first offer of it, upon a vacancy occurring ; 
and that, if he declined it, Mr. John Venn should have the 
next offer. 

Mr. Foster now declined the presentation, in a manner 
which displayed extraordinary humility, and a noble supe- 
riority to all worldly considerations. 

The option of the presentation next devolved upon Mr. 
John Venn ; who accepted it, and was instituted in the fol- 
lowing month. The next Extracts allude to these circum- 
stances. 



VISIT TO BUXTON. 



477 



May 2, 1792. 

My brother Gambier sent me the first notice 

respecting Clapham. What an honour and lustre 
is thrown upon Mr. Foster's character ! To what a 
difficult and dangerous post is my son called ! He is 
in great weakness, fear, and trembling. Now is the 
time of temptation. Now, more than ever, prayer 
should be made, that he may glorify God. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

Children, the old adage says, are careful 

comforts. — I find the truth of this now particularly 
respecting you. I was careful to see you called out 
to usefulness; and, now providentially a great door 
is opened, I am in daily concern lest you should be 
hurt, and suffer loss in your new station. — You must 
beware of company. You must be much in secret 
and retirement. Visiting friends, and being seldom 
in a solemn spirit before the Throne of Grace, ruin 
most of those who perish among professors of godliness. 

In the summer of 1792, Mr. Venn was obliged, through 
increasing infirmities, wholly to relinquish the public discharge 
of his ministry. Upon the earnest solicitation of his children 
and friends, he took a journey to Bath ; but experienced 
no material benefit from the waters at that place. He next 
went to Mr. Riland's, at Birmingham ; and, accompanied by 
his daughter, and part of Mr. Riland's family, visited Buxton. 
By the use of Buxton waters, his health and vigour were, for 
a time, remarkably restored. He was absent from Yelling 
for more than a year. 



478 



VISIT TO BUXTON. 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Buxton, Aug. 27, 1792. 

I this day received your very affectionate letter. 
It added in no small degree to my comforts, which 
were abundant before. Indeed, I am not able to 
reckon up the mercies which are multiplied upon 
me. Unfeigned esteem, for my poor work's sake, 
because of the Master I have served, I meet with in 
every place ; and your very affectionate manner of 
taking care of me excites me, with peculiar emphasis, 
to cry out, "How am I compassed with mercy on 
every side !" 

We came here on Saturday. I hear great things 
are done by the waters. One thing I know — it will 
prove no disappointment to me, if I receive no good ; 
for I expect none. I make the trial, in order that my 
children may see I use the means, which, if it please 
God, may prolong my days a little, and lighten my 
sufferings.' But I cannot think my sufferings are 
worthy to be named, while my faith and hope con- 
tinue ; and my desire is earnest after a better country, 
secured by oath, and promises, and blood. Indeed, I 
am very much indulged with the comforts of love, the 
consolations of Christ, and the spirit of prayer. 

My continual prayer for you will be, " 'Ev aArjdeiq 
kcu irapprja-tq — -may he speak and preach I" And if 
you will take no denial, it shall " be unto thee even 
as thou wilt." For, oh ! marvellous ! — and, without 
grace given to believe, undoubtedly incredible ! — the 
Holy Lord God maketh Himself tributary to poor 
sinners ; saying, " Open thy mouth wide, and I will 
fill it." 

Three weeks is the time we purpose to stay, if the 



AFFLICTIONS OF BISHOP LOWTH. 



479 



waters agree ; and then return by Sutton. Inclose 
your letter to me, under cover to Sir Richard Hill, 
my old friend, who is trying the waters here. We 
meet every day. We dine at a long table — twenty- 
five guests ; and we have variety, so that my appetite 
is well consulted : but a sad famine respecting spiri- 
tual things ! However, I trust we shall get good. 

A clergyman was yesterday giving me an account, 
truly affecting, of the great afflictions of Bishop 
Lowth, which I hope never to forget. After many 
years of honour, and the fulness of prosperity, his 
days of darkness began with the loss of his beloved 
daughter Maria, the sweetest flower conceivable, 
The blow rent his heart. This was soon followed 
by the death of his son, at twenty, who was every 
thing he could wish. Soon after, another daughter 
died suddenly, when at dinner with him. He then 
became deranged in his mind for three years; and 
afterwards was attacked by a severe complaint, which 
filled him with excruciating pains; till, worn out with 
distress, he breathed his last. — Oh, what a spectacle ! 
what a lesson ! 

Present my best respects to my friends. Assure 
them I pray for them every day, and hope to dwell 
with them above for ever. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR ELING, Buxton, Sept. 6, 1792. 

I write now, what you will be much pleased to 
read. — The waters have done my health great good, 
and I am much stronger. Dear Charles and you will 
pray earnestly for me, that I may have wisdom from 



480 INTERVIEW WITH HUDDERSFIELD FRIENDS. 

above, to make the most of life, and be blessed with 
a triumphant end. The people here teach us from 
what a state of death we are saved. We feel and 
enjoy that inestimable blessing. We are led " beside 
the still waters, in green pastures;" while persons of 
rank and distinction, in the world, are in one conti- 
nual hurry, and immersed with dissipation. 

Dr. Hulme of Halifax, Mr. Kershaw, and Sir 
Richard Hill, are here ; and their company is very 
enlivening. Mr. Thomas Atkinson, John Houghton, 
with his wife, and several others of my old flock at 
Huddersfield, are coming over, to pay a visit once 
more to the man who first called upon them to behold 
the Lamb of God — in whom they have enjoyed light, 
life, and joy, for many years. I have seen Joseph 
Hirst — an example and ornament of his religion. He 
tells me that the people in general about Huddersfield 
are flourishing in righteousness. Since I began this 
letter, Mr. Powley is come to see me ; and tears filled 
his eyes on seeing me so much reduced. We have 
had sweet conversation together. 

You may see, by my writing, how much more 
strength I have gained; but observe, I do not sup- 
pose this change in my health will last. Adored be 
the superabundant grace of God ! — I do not desire 
to continue in the body, but to join the heavenly 
choir, and see God face to face. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



At the beginning of the year 1793, Mr. John Venn 
removed from Little Dunham to Clapham. He was much 
oppressed by a sense of the responsibility attached to so 



TO HIS SON AT CLAPHAM. 



481 



important a ministerial charge. The next Letter was written 
to encourage and strengthen his mind under these painful 
feelings. 



TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

MY VERY DEAR SON, Yelling, Jan. 17, 1793. 

Though I wrote to you yesterday, yet the letter 
I received from you last night grieves me so much, 
that I cannot rest without immediately offering some 
considerations, which may, I trust, be useful. 

i. I hope you will consider, that you are no other- 
wise afflicted with a sense of your own deficiency, 
than the very excellent of God's servants were in 
their trials. One cries out, " I am undone ! I am a 
man of unclean lips ! " — Another, "lama child ! I 
cannot speak ! Ezekiel is called upon to guard 
against fear of the faces of men. It is a plain inti- 
mation, that if he gave way to such a fear, the Lord 
would confound him before them. St. Paul was in 
weakness, fear, and much trembling, lest he should 
not be able to fulfil his ministry at Corinth ; and was 
assured by Christ Himself, that a great door and 
effectual was opened, and there were many adver- 
saries. From these instances, I hope you will see, 
my dear son, that it is a general method of the Divine 
proceedings to impress a very deep sense of utter 
insufficiency on the instruments He makes use of, in 
calling sinners to Christ Be, then, of good cheer ! as 
you stand now only in circumstances similar to these 
blessed and highly-distinguished servants of the Lord. 

ii. I beseech you to understand how very plainly 
has the choice and appointment of you to this service 
appeared. The judgment of all who consider it, is 

i i 



482 



ENCOURAGING ADDRESS 



but one — that you are, if ever man was, called and 
chosen to the work. Moreover, all agree you are 
eminently fitted for the situation. Surely the conclu- 
sion, from both the manner of your coming" to be 
Rector of Clapham, and your acknowledged fitness 
for the place, ought to give you boldness. 

in. You are at liberty to write all your sermons, 
till you have both ability and freedom to speak. And 
when your whole time is devoted to the service of 
your profession, I think you must indeed greatly mis- 
take the matter, if you think you are unable to do 
credit to your profession, and feed the church. 

iv. Your hearers are much inclined to think of 
your trials, and wish you may not be discouraged. 

Mrs. T told me, she felt very tenderly for you, 

and so did many more ; and hoped a few weeks or 
months would make a great change in your mind. 

v. The opposition in the appointment of Provi- 
dence, respecting myself and you, is very striking. 
I was sent from Clapham, that at Huddersfield I 
might be taught the plague of my own heart ; (and 
though, I trust, few are obstinate as I was, and need 
to be brought so near the ed^e of a most tremendous 
precipice as I was ;) yet I have more reason to be 
thankful for what I gained by that temptation, than 
for any prosperous event I ever had in my tem- 
poral circumstances. To Clapham you are led, in 
order to be experimentally taught what is in your 
heart. And be not surprised (as if it were a strange 
thing) at being thus cast down ; for whenever we are 
called to do a work for the Lord, if we are not hum- 
bled before we enter upon it, there is little reason to 
think we shall meet with any success. 

vi. You would consult much your own comfort, 



TO HIS SON AT CLAPHAM. 



483 



my beloved son, if, after pondering the trials and dif- 
ficulties you are to expect, and will doubtless meet 
with, you would ponder also, in some just measure 
(which I fear you have but a very little done), the 
usefulness, the comfort, the liberty, and Divine love 
you will be the means, which God our Saviour will 
make use of, to communicate to many souls. When 
I looked round about me, after Divine Service, only 
the last Sunday, at Clapham, my heart bounded within 
me, to think how different a sacrament, in half a 
year's time, there would be on that very spot. 

One mistake in my poor life (which has been full 
of mistakes), I have cause to regret, is, that, from 
fear of pride, I never paid due regard to the number- 
less passages in Holy Writ which so plainly point 
out, and extol, the high dignity of our office. Pro- 
phets of God, abettors of His cause, His ambassadors, 
sent by Him immediately after his ascension, to open 
the eyes of the blind, to turn men, &c. &c. — -oh ! had 
I, some forty years since, my dear son, given but 
a little consideration to these passages, and many 
like them, representing the authority, the dignity of 
our office, I indeed believe (humanly speaking) I 
should have had much more comfort in my own soul, 
and more success, both in public and private ad- 
dresses to my people. Among the numberless deplo- 
rable defects of my ministry, I scarcely can find out 
one from which my usefulness hath been more hin- 
dered, than from a total forgetfulness of the highest 
honour of my office, and persevering in continual fear 
lest I should be proud and lifted up. Beware, I 
beseech you, my dear son, that your ministry be not 
materially hurt by what has injured your beloved 
father, and hindered his usefulness, 
i i 2 



484 



ENCOURAGING ADDRESS 



vii. I beseech you to assure yourself, you are not 
to expect the help God will give you, till the exigency 
of the case requires it. Abraham went out, not know- 
ing whither he went. Faith in all His children, is of 
the very same nature, from the first to the last — a 
venture, whether we shall sink or swim, as ship- 
wrecked mariners. Why, then, should you not be 
content to trust — to be depending on the promise 
with quiet expectation ? though your deepest feeling 
is, that you are not sufficient to think so much as a 
good thought of yourself. 

viii. My dear son, I beseech you, consider, with all 
possible attention, how great a danger you are ex- 
posed to, which you do not seem, I apprehend, to 
attend to sufficiently — the danger of disparaging all 
that God hath wrought for you. You remember he 
brought a charge against Israel of old, that they did 
not serve Him with joyfulness of heart. I know, also, 
that the nature and subtlety of the Wicked-one works 
this way; especially with those who are of a modest 
and self-diffident cast (which never was mine, I con- 
fess) : and till I saw how that cast has worked upon 
you, I the more lamented it was not my own cast. I 
pray you resist and oppose the suggestions of this 
malignant spirit r never reason, but pray against him : 
when he sees you engaged in reasoning against him, 
he is confident, and rejoices : — when- he sees you upon 
your knees, he trembles ; he will flee from you, a vile 
sinner, in utter despair of conquering; nay, in fear, 
lest you bruise his head. 

So much for spirituals — all written in a coffee- 
house, among Jamaica captains, and in a great din. 

I now give my opinion on your temporalities. But 
here I have little opinion of my own abilities. You 



TO HIS SON AT CLAPHAM. 



485 



tell me, in the strictness of the law, you have a right 
to much more than the other party will allow you. 
If, by the strictness of the law, you mean uncertainty 
whether it will be determined in your favour if tried 
at law, it may then be prudent to let them have their 
will; but if the law is clearly on your side, neither 
reason nor religion require you to take less than your 
dues, but the contrary. I am rather sorry I said a 
syllable about my papers. So many are your employ- 
ments, I ought not to have troubled you about such a 
matter. Forgive me ! My love to your dear wife : I 
feel for her, as for a beloved child. 

I am yet uncertain whether I can be able to come 
into Norfolk. My dear Brother Berridge is dying ; as 
a letter received last night from Mr. Whittingham in- 
forms me — and, at the same time, how supremely 
happy he is in his God and Saviour. He goes a little 
before us : we shall very soon follow after. 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES AND MRS. HARVEY. 
MY DEAR CHILDREN, London, Feb. 14, 1793. 

Dining this day with Sir R. Hill, and being 

in rather better health, I gladly embrace the opportu- 
nity of a frank, to send you an account of the last days 
of my dear brother at Everton ; who was most affec- 
tionate towards all my dear children ; and his regard 
for me was very great indeed. His departure is to 
me a loss unspeakable, and not to be repaired ! The 
country will appear very dreary, now I have no friend 
there to whom I can unbosom my soul, as he was wont 
to do to me. You know that I had promised to preach 



486 



FUNERAL OF MR. BERRIDGE. 



his funeral sermon. My weakness of body, and of 
my mind, prevent my fulfilling that promise ; and I was, 
much against my inclination, obliged to refuse the 
application from Everton to perform the last office for 
this eminent man of God. After increasing weakness, 
he was, on the 12th of January, seized with a violent 
asthma, in which his friends thought he would have 
died. He recovered, however, and lived ten days, 
unspeakably favoured with the presence and love of 
his adorable Redeemer, often expressing his full assu- 
rance of being with Him for ever. Mr. and Mrs. 
Whittingham, Mr. Ellard, and Mr. Hewitt, were with 
him, when he departed without a struggle or a groan. 
His funeral was very solemn. Six clergymen bore 
the pall. Mr. Simeon preached from the very words 
I wished him to do; and shewed how truly Mr. 
Berridge might say, with Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8 : "I 
have fought a good fight ; I have finished my course ; 
I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for 
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me at that day : and not 
to me only, but unto all them, also, that love His 
appearing." The church could not contain more than 
half of the multitude who came to the burial of their 
beloved pastor. Nor is it easy to conceive what tears 
and sighs were to be seen and heard, from those who 
had been called to Christ through the word of the dear 
deceased. He is gone, a very little before me. May 
I patiently wait till I meet him above! — an event 
which I hope is not far off. 

From your affectionate father, 

H, Venn. 



SUCCESS OF MR. VENN'S CURATE AT YELLING. 487 



In Letters written during Mr. Venn's absence from Yelling, 
he frequently mentions the very gratifying accounts which he 
received of the success of his curate, Mr. Evans; who was the 
means of exciting many to a serious concern for their salvation, 
who had heard Mr. Venn's preaching without effect, or had 
relapsed into indifference, after having been once awakened. 
Such accounts evidently cheered his heart, and called forth 
fervent praises to God. I add, as a specimen, an extract 
from a Letter to Mr. Thomas Atkinson. 



I was absent from home when your liberal 

I present to my poor arrived ; and my servant is not the 
most exact in observing" the orders given him. These 
circumstances must plead my excuse for not acknow- 
ledging, some weeks sooner, your kind regard to my 
poor people, whom you have helped to clothe. — Mr. 
Simeon, last month, was at Yelling ; and has brought 
me such an account as will rejoice both your heart 
and your wife's. He says, " The people are as dif- 
ferent as it is possible to conceive. There was a 
church-full on the week-day. They sang, they prayed, 
they heard, like people alive to God. They quite re- 
freshed my soul." From this account, you will see 
how highly favoured I am in the pastor my God has 
sent to supply, nay, abundantly more than to supply, 
my place. And I write to you, that you may know, 
that some of the objects of your liberality are the poor 
who receive as well as hear the Gospel. 



After thirteen months 9 absence, Mr. Venn returned, with 
his daughter, to Yelling. He thus describes the joy which 
his arrival excited among the villagers. 



488 



RETURN TO YELLING. 



Veiling, June 8, 1793. 

We came here yesterday, after a pleasant 

journey, which did us both good. The people were 
glad and eager to see us. The bells rang, as soon as 
we came in sight in the field. Some were too much 
affected to come and greet us, at our arrival. Others 
flocked to the rectory ; and a testimony was borne, by 
every countenance, that their friend and pastor was 
returned. The faithful Ruth was overcome with joy. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 

(at bath.) 

MY VERY DEAR SON, Veiling, Aug. 1793. 

Your two letters afforded me great pleasure and 
comfort ; and we have abundant reason to be thankful 
that the Bath waters appear to do you so much good. 

I am much reduced; and have nothing but a de- 
crease of bodily strength to expect ; for my appetite is 
almost gone ; — not that I have cause for complaint. 
You have been every day in my thoughts, as enjoying 
now one of the most delicious gratifications below — 
travelling from place to place, visiting the excellent 
of the earth : yet, while you were in my thoughts, I 
accounted myself not less favoured, in silence, solitude, 
and much prayer. I have enjoyed the Word of God; 
and " my meditation of Him has been sweet." I was 
never more happy. This one thing I will desire of 
the Lord, and with the prayer of faith require, that I 
may find grace sufficient for me. 

I have a sweet enjoyment of midnight hours, when 
I cannot sleep. At three or four o'clock I sit up 
in my bed ; and you and yours, and the rest of my 
children, are before me, as in a picture ; and I am 
entreating my God for your growth in usefulness — for 



AFFECTIONATE CONCERN FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 489 

your living a bright example of your Christian pro- 
fession. 

Many thanks to you for " Milner's Church History ?' 
Little did I think what a feast was prepared for me in 
my old age ! When he describes the state of the 
Church, and the martyrs of the second or third cen- 
tury, what sound understanding, what boldness and 
vigour of mind, does he display ! Blessed be our 
God, for Joseph Milner and his work! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO MRS. RILAND. 

Yelling, Sept. 1793. 

My daughter loves me a great deal too much 

for her own peace. She would fain have her beloved 
father exempted from the pains and penalties which 
flesh is heir to — which the whole ransomed Church 
are called to bear — which are not worthy to be named 
with the sufferings we deserve — with the glory ready 
to be revealed. I can, with great sympathy, say, as 
Jephthah did of old, " O my daughter, thou art among 
those that distress me this day 1" How can I help 
figuring to myself a child exceedingly pained for the 
anguish my body may suffer without remedy, unable 
to find one moment's ease till the earthly house of this 
tabernacle falls; — and^Ruth, like another daughter, 
no less agitated : — both of them without brother or 
sister, or one friend to cheer their spirits. Yet do not 
think, my dear friend, I am cast down, nor that my 
soul is disquieted within me. I pass my time in 
sweet serenity, and entire trust in my God and 
Saviour. I pray night and day, without ceasing ; 
and frequently rejoice, in the full assurance that He 



490 



HIS HAPPY STATE OF MIND, 



who hath loved me as His own from the beginning' 
will love me to the end. Where I prayed one hour 
out of the twenty-four, I now pray three or four times 
as much. 

At times, indeed, my faculties are benumbed ; 

so that I can neither read, nor think, nor pray at all, 
as I was wont to do ; yet mercies abound in the midst 
of all. I have a sweet composure, a solid peace, a 
glorious prospect into our future and eternal in- 
heritance. My soul has more dwelt upon the felicity 
of God's chosen this year, than all the years of my life 
before. 



TO MR. EDWARD VENN. 
MY DEAR NEPHEW, Yelling, Nov. 12, 1793. 

1 cannot but be highly pleased with your 

tender attention to my sister and her daughter; 
though I am, by that excellent conduct, deprived of 
the great pleasure of a visit. I must console myself — 
as I do — that I, and all those who are most dear to 
me, are all travelling in the King's highway*, to His 
own place, to " see Him as He is/' There we shall 
enjoy the glorious realities — of which we here obtain 
a glimpse, and then we lose it. In our best estate 
below, how very feeble are the impressions of our 
future glorious inheritance ! 

What pleasure did I feel in reading, that, when 
you were at Clapham, on Sunday, you were well 

* Mr. Venn was accustomed to give a beautiful illustration of this 
expression. " Things necessary and essential are all plain. The way 
to Heaven is not a bridle-way, winding, and difficult to be discerned : 
but the King's highway is straight, and lifted up, like a Roman road, 
itself a full direction to the traveller." 



AND EARNEST DESIRE TO DEPART. 



491 



instructed before you met at the table of the Lord. 
My prayers had been warmly presented, that the name 
of the Lord Jesus might be magnified, and many 
might eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink 
his blood. Help your dear cousin with your prayers. 
Expect, and earnestly long for, a day of the Redeemer's 
Power at Clapham church. Oh, that my son may 
have no rest in his soul, till those arrows, which are 
very sharp, reach the hearts and consciences of the 
King's enemies ! 

I recommend to my dear nephew to buy four 
sermons of Dr. Caleb Evans, on Christ Crucified. 
The two first are very sensible, but not extraordinary. 
The two last are among the first, for excellency, that 
I ever read. I would venture my reputation on my 
recommendation. 

Grace, mercy, and peace, be with us, till, dying in 
the Lord, we meet above ! 

Your affectionate uncle, 

II. Venn. 

TO MR. ELLIOTT. 
MY DEAR, MY VERY DEAR SON, Yelling, Oct. 7, 1793. 

You have largely contributed, for past years, ever 
since your union with us, to the comfort of myself, 
and every one of my children ; for which we have 
all great reason to be thankful to our God. Next 
week we hope to see you all here. 

I am still very highly favoured, though declining 
apace, but not faster than I would wish. "Come, 
Lord Jesus ! O come quickly \ 33 is, almost every 
hour, my prayer. x\nd when, by reason of pain, I 
lie awake for hours in the night, I am favoured, not 
only with a quiet mind, stayed upon my God, but 
rejoicing in the glorious prospect of soon being without 



492 AFFLICTION WEANS US FROM THE WORLD. 



error or pollution, and of having the name of my 
God in my forehead, and serving him without defect 
— and waiting for your ascension, and I hope the 
ascension of your offspring, sweet dears ! 

My son's sermons, the two Sundays before last, 
collected a more numerous congregation yesterday 
than, I think, has been in our church for years. 
We had eighty at the table. I read the prayers. 
We sang that admirable Hymn, in which are these 
lines : 

* But when he groan'd, and bled, and died, 
He ruin'd Satan's throne, &c." 
After Service, with a triumphant voice we made the 
church ring with Hallelujahs — 

" Lives again our Glorious King !" 
It was a glorious feast indeed ! Glory be to God ! — 
My love to all your sweet babes. 

The Lord give you a prosperous journey, and 
much of His grace and heavenly benediction, when 
together ! 

From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling, Sept. 21, 1794. 

— What a load of misery is entailed upon us from 
our birth ! Man inherits affliction and trouble ; and 
there is no security of any blessings, except spiritual 
and eternal ones. We may certainly also conclude, 
that cleaving, as we do, to the earth, though full of 
disappointments and affliction, but for them we should 
all be bewitched* to our destruction. I observed, as 
I generally do (except illness prevents) with exact- 
ness, my time for writing to you — a fortnight, to a 



MR. HODSON OF JAMAICA, 



493 



day, last Thursday, and finished the letter ; but it 
did not go till Saturday. Punctuality is an excellent 
thing", I have long* been convinced ; and I have prac- 
tised it accordingly. 

You will oblige me much by writing me the 
Clapham news. How much do I enjoy your present 
full employment, and the account of your church 
being so well attended! I have no doubt the Lord 
is with you, and will Himself testify of His grace. 
It cost me prayer without ceasing, for years, to obtain 
knowledge, and in any measure the tongue of the 
learned (the qualifications for my high office) ; and so 
it will every one. 

The Lord Jesus help you, and be in a remarkable 
manner with your spirit, when you preach the Visita- 
tion Sermon. If a text is not chosen, suppose it was 
this : — " Preach the word : be instant in season, out 
of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long- 
suffering and doctrine." — I never shall forget, and 
hope ever to humble myself for preaching, my sermon 
at St. Saviour's. It was, thank God ! the only time 
I was not able to withstand temptation. I was not 
bold ; — no offence was taken ; and my powers, as an 
orator, allowed. 

I am glad Mr. Grant will have no other house but 
that on Clapham Common. May you be more and 
more united, and the sons of my old friend, and Mr. 
Wilberforce ; and quicken and excite each other to do 
much in the service of Christ, and evidently magnify 
his Name ! 

On Monday last, a gentleman came here, and 
accosted me in these words : — " I suppose you do not 
know me ; as I should not have known you. My 
name is Hodson. In gratitude, I was obliged to pay 
you a visit. Thirty years ago, I heard you at Hud- 



494 



WAITING FOR DEATH, 



dersfield/' — I recollected him with much pleasure. 
He is one of the most amiable of men : he has made 
his fortune in Jamaica. What an indication of his 
excellency will you think it, when I tell you, that, in 
the mention of his slaves, and the great affection they 
shewed him, tears fell from his eyes ; and he said he 
had doubted whether he should not have stayed with 
them till he died ! He had heard of you ; and per- 
haps may become one of your flock. He is a steady, 
sensible man — a native of Huddersfield. Oh ! how 
extensive, and always upon the increase, is the good 
done by preaching Christ, the Way, the Truth, and 
the Life ! — God bless you both, in a degree far beyond 
what He hath done ! and bless your aged father, that 
he may be an example to his children, teaching them 
how a Christian dies ! 

Yours affectionately, 

H. Venn. 

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 

Yelling , Jan. 4, 1795. 

Dear, and for ever dear, Brother in our Lord! — 
The day before yesterday, Kitty's letter told us that 
your beloved wife was very dangerously ill. I shall 
not be satisfied till I hear how the Lord of all Lords 
deals with you, that I may remember your case, in 
all circumstances, before Him. 

One year and a half I have been nearly a prisoner 
to my house ; — soon shall I be (unless suddenly trans- 
lated) to my chamber, and then to my bed ; and then 
this body shall rest in the grave, and my spirit " enter 
with boldness/' (ever mine!) " into the holiest, by the 
blood of Jesus \" For though my eyes are, more than 
ever they were, opened, to see my wickedness has 



IN ABOUNDING HOPE AND PRAYER. 495 

indeed been great, and mine iniquities infinite, and 
the overspreading depravity in me not to be extir- 
pated till my dissolution — do all I can against it ; yet 
this creates no bondage or despondency ; the spirit of 
power, of love, and of a sound mind, is given me from 
above. I pray, much more than ever I did, for my- 
self, my relations, my friends in Christ ; and particu- 
larly for my fellow-labourers, in whose conversation, 
example, and company, I have received so much 
benefit. I am so infirm, as not to be able to pray 
with my own family : nevertheless, " He that loved 
me will love me to the end." One thing only I 
desire, without ceasing — that, for the sake of the 
thousands to whom I have preached " the unsearch- 
able riches of Christ," and contended for His glory, I 
may, in the hour of death, look through an opened 
Heaven to a Crucified Saviour, smiling upon my poor 
guilty soul! 

I told my invaluable Jane I must write to you, but 
no more than five lines. Upon seeing what I have 
written, she tells me I surely meant to have said five 
pages. She joins with me in wishing it may please 
our Heavenly Father to preserve your beloved wife ; 
or, if not, to keep from excessive grief the survivor, 
under a blessed assurance of meeting, after a very 
short interval, in the eternal fellowship, with all the 
elect of God. 

Not a single word for past silence*! — In your pre- 
sent suspense, to expect more than one line would 
not be friendly ; and for a directory to me, in my in- 
tercessions, it would be sufficient. 

With fervent love to you both, we remember you, 
From your affectionate, 

H. Venn. 



496 



" SOARING TO HEAVEN/' 



P. S. We wish you both a happy new year, in the 
fulfilment of the Covenant — the new and better 
Covenant, established upon better promises, which 
follow in the Father's declaration to Messiah, before 
His holy incarnation and nativity : — " All Thy Children 
shall be taught of me ; and great shall be the peace of 
Thy Children. They shall be established in righteous- 
ness, and shall be far from oppression; and as for 
terror, it shall be far from them." — May you have this 
witness in yourselves, from the opening to the close of 
the year, or so long in it as you remain in the body ! 
and the kings and princes of the world, the most 
admired and most envied of men on earth, will be 
exceedingly poor, and wretched, and miserable, in 
comparison with yourselves. 



At the close of a Letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald (Jan. 
17, 1795), the following noble sentence occurs : — 

I have not slept out of my house, or been farther 
than my garden and the adjoining fields, for more than 
eighteen months; — yet I enjoy liberty. I soar to 
Heaven; and mix in the society of Cherubim and 
Seraphim, and all the Ransomed of the Lord. 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. 
MY DEAR SON, Yelling^ Jan. 1, 1796. 

Be assured I very sensibly feel your very kind 
attention to my interest ; and, placing confidence in 
your judgment, am well satisfied with the arrangement 
you propose. 

I am not displeased with the opposition of the 
Huntingtonians to your preaching: their hatred is 



INSISTING ON THE FRUITS OF FAITH. 497 

much to be preferred to their praise. You write, you 
are well satisfied ; — and you have cause to be so ; not 
only from the full approbation of your friends at 
Clapham, but from the whole tenor of the Word of 
God ; for you teach and preach as the Oracles of God. 
Every Prophet and every Apostle insists as much upon 
the fruits of faith, as upon faith itself, and the glory 
of Christ's Person. The sovereign and electing grace 
of God, by which alone we are brought to Him, bears 
no proportion in the Scripture to the continual mention 
that is made of the absolute necessity, beauty, and ex- 
cellency of a holy life and conversation, in the sight 
of God and man — bears no proportion, I say, to the 
practical part of our holy religion. It is very remark- 
able, also, that our Saviour would not preach about 
Himself, the freeness of His grace, and justification 
by His blood, till He had first of all laid the foun- 
dation most emphatically of that holiness which these 
Solifidians deny. As remarkably, St. Paul had no 
sooner finished his triumphant account of grace reign- 
ing through righteousness, than he leaves the subject; 
and writes a whole chapter, by way of guarding against 
an Antinomian interpretation of his doctrine. 

It therefore gives me great pleasure to see you 
stand in the place your father did — pelted on one side 
by ranters clamouring for sinless perfection, and on 
the other by Antinomian abusers of grace. Many of 
these last you will see like meteors of a day, and, by 
their bad fruits, too plainly attesting that all their 
wisdom and religion is from beneath. Look upon 
yourself as loudly called upon by the jarring sects to 
search the Scriptures, and study them, and them only 
— more devoutly, more constantly, in full assurance 
that, in doing so, you shall be led into all truth. 

K K 



498 ALL SCRIPTURE EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE. 

I have to tell you — and would, if it were with my 
last breath — that I can wish for nothing more than I 
now find Christ is to me. And though I discover, 
more than ever, most lamentable defects in my preach- 
ing, and cannot place the smallest confidence in the 
multitudes to whom God has been pleased to make 
His word a blessing by my mouth and pen, yet I am 
absolutely certain that I have preached the very doc- 
trine that Christ and His Apostles did. The whole 
Word of God is equally acceptable to me ; — not less 
those parts which are the fortress of Arminians, Per- 
fectionists, and Antinomians, than the others ; so that 
I am, and have been for thirty-five years, in the happy 
state of not being tempted to wrest any Scripture, or 
pervert it, in order to make it favour my own tenets. 

I wish you to be more zealous, more bright and 
shining in your life and practice, this year, than any 
before — that you may stand perfect and complete in all 
the will of God, putting to silence the ignorance and 
malicious prating of all opposers. I would fain hope 
to see you once more, for one Sunday. My daughter 
sends her love with mine. Love to all the little-ones. 
From your affectionate father, 

H. Venn. 



The Letters of a subsequent date are too few and brief to 
afford any further additions to this selection. Here, there- 
fore, the Chronological Series of Correspondence closes. — The 
Editor feels, also, that the style and subject of the foregoing 
Letter render it peculiarly appropriate for the position it 
holds, as the last of that series. 



PART III. 



LETTERS ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS. 



KK2 



( 501 ) 



PART III. 



LETTERS ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, TOO LONG FOR INSERTION 
IN THE PRECEDING SECTIONS. 



TO JONATHAN SCOTT, ESQ.* 

(DIRECTIONS FOR LEADING A CHRISTIAN LIFE.) 

DEAR SIR, Nov. 6, 1765. 

I cannot leave Shropshire without giving you joy 
on your knowledge of Christ, and determination to 
live in His service. This connects us more closely 
than if we had sprung immediately from the same 
parent ; for, in numberless instances, own brothers will 
be separated from each other, far as Heaven from 
Hell ; but all who love the Lord Jesus shall dwell for 
ever with Him. Love to Him and your soul prompts 
me to lay before you a few hints, furnished from long 
service in the Church of Christ ; which, had I received 
on my entrance into it, might have preserved me from 
many hurtful mistakes. 

Your Christian calling is a warfare, where no quarter 
can be given on either side. If you prove faithful 
unto death, angels will receive your departing soul; 
eternal glory will be your crown; the armies of the 
saved will receive you with transport, as a soul 

* This Letter was printed many years ago, as a Tract ; and has 
lately been reprinted, in several different forms. 



502 DILIGENCE IN THE MEANS OF GRACE. 

ransomed with that precious blood, to which they owe 
their all ; and the Redeemer's presence will be your 
Heaven for evermore. Should you forsake His service, 
or hold secret correspondence with His foes, you must 
be punished, like them, with eternal infamy in Hell. 

The enemies you have to oppose, and conquer, will 
probably be, first, your former intimates, friends and 
nearest relations, whose polite conversation and affec- 
tion for you have been so pleasing : for till their judg- 
ment of sin, true religion, and man's chief good, are 
formed from Scripture, as your own now is, they must 
both despise and hate the way of life in which you 
must persist. With these opposers your corrupt 
nature will take part, and a subtle destroyer, long 
practised in arts and wiles, to compass the ruin of 
immortal souls. In this perilous condition you have 
joined yourself (effectually influenced by His grace) to 
Christ, as your Leader and Commander. Under His 
banner, diligently using the means He, in tenderest 
love, enjoins, you are confidently to expect both pro- 
tection and victory. 

These means are: Secret Prayer — Study of the 
Bible — Public Worship — Hearing faithful Preachers 
— Christian Society — and much Retirement. 

h Secret Prayer, at stated times, was constantly 
practised by our Lord. "At evening/' says he, " and 
morning, and no on- day, will I cry unto Thee, and 
that instantly ; and Thou shalt hear my prayer." All 
His illustrious saints have done the same. Indeed, 
stated times of prayer, where they can be had, are no 
less needful to make the soul flourish, than stated 
meals to keep the body in health. Wilfully to ne- 
glect them, is to walk contrary to the example of 
Christ and his saints, which can never produce resem- 



SECRET PRAYER. 



503 



blance to them in our life. Yet stated times of secret 
prayer will grow tiresome, and prove of no use, 
unless you take pains to present yourself a worship- 
per before the Lord in spirit and in truth, by looking 
up, and begging the Spirit of grace and supplication 
may be poured out upon your soul. But, when you 
duly observe stated times of secret prayer, be not 
cast down because you will often find great stupidity 
of mind, and know not what to ask ; or because you 
feel your faith very weak, much backwardness to 
pray, and a swarm of idle thoughts oppressing you. 
Do not, on this account, leave off your constant de- 
votions, nor question whether they will profit your 
soul. It is much for your good, to feel you have no 
power to command your own thoughts. It is much 
for your good, that your own experience should con- 
firm what the word of God and His people teach — 
that you are weak and poor, always standing in abso- 
lute need of the mercy of God, the grace of the 
Lord J esus Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost. 

On the contrary, beware of being elated on ac- 
count of great enlargement of heart, and spiritual 
joy, which you will find sometimes flow in upon your 
soul. Should this favour lead you to think highly 
of yourself, carelessness first, and then a miserable 
fall, will follow; for self-exalting thoughts always 
defile the soul, and grieve the Spirit of God ; nei- 
ther can any dependence, as to future safety, be 
justly built on what has passed in our own minds. 
Witness the noble confession Peter made of his faith 
in Christ one honr, and astonishing reprimand he 
received the next: "Get thee behind me, Satan! 
thou art an offence unto me." These sweet sensa- 
tions of spiritual joy realize to us some of the pre- 



504 DEVOUT STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 

cious promises made to believers in Christ; and are 
designed to allure us, not to excite a conceit of any 
thing good to ourselves. 

2. To secret prayer you will join devout study of 
the Bible ; because it is our infallible guide, and the 
treasury of all truth necessary to salvation. But the 
riches laid up there are not to be found by proud or 
careless minds : none possess them, till they dig for 
them as for silver, longing to know the will of God, 
that they may do it. To superficial readers of the 
Bible, it presents little more than a great number of 
duties, which must be performed; and sins, which 
must be renounced ; with insupportable pains, in 
failure of obedience ; — passages of excellent use, when 
believed ; as they at once rouse the selfish soul of 
man to seek reconciliation with God, and help from 
Heaven : — and sweep away every refuge of lies, under 
which love of sin leads us to take shelter. But ear- 
nest and devout readers of their Bible discover much 
more : they discover the tender heart of Christ ; the 
efficacy of His blood, to cleanse from all unrighteous- 
ness ; and a variety of spiritual blessings, which are 
the present reward of being true-hearted in His ser- 
vice. I am at a loss for words to express how much 
solid knowledge, transforming your mind into the 
Divine image, you will certainly gain by persevering 
in diligent prayer, year after year, for the true inter- 
pretation of God's blessed Word, that you may be 
made wise and holy. A pattern is plainly set before 
us, in these memorable petitions : — may they come 
from our hearts, and ever dwell upon our tongues !— 
" I am a stranger upon earth (very soon to leave it ; 
therefore its riches and honours cannot profit me) ; O 
hide not Thy commandments from me, which will 



PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. 505 

enrich me for ever ! — Open Thou my eyes, that I 
may see wondrous things in Thy Law ! — Thy hands 
have formed and fashioned me; O give me under- 
standing", that I may know Thy Law ! " This me- 
thod of reading the Bible must be continued through 
life, especially whilst the capital truths of the Bible 
are before our eyes. By this means we have an abso- 
lute security from abusing any part of the Word of 
God. And those who dare despise persevering prayer 
to be taught by the Spirit of God what is contained 
in His holy Word, as if they knew enough, fall into 
pernicious errors ; wrest some passages of Scripture, 
to contradict others; or grow violently zealous for 
doctrines ; but very cold respecting that heavenly 
mind those doctrines are revealed to produce. Our 
profiting will then only appear, when, after the ex- 
ample of David and St. Paul, we pray from deep 
conviction that we cannot be properly affected with 
what we believe, unless we are divinely taught ; and 
that if any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing 
as he ought to know, that man knoweth nothing. 

3. Secret prayer, and devout study of the Bible, 
will prepare you to worship in the House of God. 
— And here you must beware of a fatal error, com- 
mon among those who love to hear the Gospel. 
Assured from the Oracles of God, that preaching the 
Gospel is the appointed means to convert sinners, 
and knowing they were themselves illuminated in 
this way, not a few shamefully disparage public wor- 
ship ; — as if all good to the soul was to come through 
tbe speaker ; none from calling, with one heart and 
voice, upon the name of our Lord, in His own House. 
Hence, whilst both minister and people should be 
abased before God, in confession of their vileness ; 



506 



PUBLIC WORSHIP. 



should be pleading, in the Ml assurance of faith, 
the sacrifice and intercession of Christ for pardon; 
should be earnestly imploring more grace, to serve 
the Lord to all well-pleasing ; should, with naming 
love to all mankind, be recommending them to the 
tender care of our Heavenly m Father ; and be filled 
with joy, in returning ardent thanks for the loving- 
kindness of God towards themselves and all men; 
whilst this grand business should fill their souls, a 
total inattention is visible in many countenances. 
Their entertainment seems only to begin when the 
preacher has taken his text. — Gross ignorance ! Im- 
pious indecency ! — Professed believers, can you ima- 
gine you shall ever receive profit in one means of 
grace, while you pour contempt on another ? or that 
after passing through the time of divine worship 
without any exercise of repentance, love, and devo- 
tion, you can be in a fit disposition to attend to 
the things which shall be delivered from the pulpit? 
Be undeceived ! It is novelty and curiosity by which 
you are pleased, in all the discourses you extol. On 
the contrary, I would have you, dear Sir, raise your 
expectations very high, of the good you are to receive 
from first praying with the congregation, as a Child 
of God by faith in Christ Jesus, before you hear the 
pastors of His Church. There is a necessity for this. 
It is intended to prepare and soften the ground for 
receiving the good seed ; and to open the heart for 
believing and obeying the truth. Remember, though 
preaching Christ is ordained to gather in the outcasts ; 
when gathered, they are to offer up prayers and 
praises, intercessions and thanksgiving, a pure offer- 
ing in righteousness. Remember, that hearing will 
very soon cease for ever: spiritual worship is im- 



" PREACHING CHRIST. 



507 



mortal. Had we therefore our choice, whether Paul 
should preach to us, or call us to fall low with him 
on our knees in prayer, we must prefer the latter; 
because every one had much rather come into the 
presence of his beloved Sovereign, to ask what He 
has promised to bestow, than hear another extol him 
ever so highly. An itching ear is a disease dan- 
gerous and epidemical : and if hearing has not made 
us love the House of Prayer, it is hard to conceive it 
can have done us any good at all. 

4. You will not misconstrue these remarks, as if 
they insinuated that preaching Christ is not of the 
utmost importance, and what all Christians must 
value and attend to. * This preaching conquered the 
bloody-minded persecutors in Judea, and brought 
thousands to adore Christ Crucified. This subdued 
the Heathen world ; and every Church of Christ owes 
its existence, preservation, and increase, to the Word 
of life preached. Our Lord emphatically warns us 
against false prophets, by comparing all who expect 
advantage from their preaching to the foolish hope of 
gathering grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles. 
Our Litany deprecates, almost in one breath — as 
three of the greatest curses to mankind — pestilence, 
rebellion, and false doctrine. 

Much indeed are we to prize the faithful preaching 
of the everlasting Gospel ! It is the good seed ; 
which falling upon good ground, the believing heart, 
brings forth fruit abundantly. Only honour equally, 
in its turn, every ordinance of God. Esteem spiritual 
worship of Him, in His House, no less profitable 
than the dispensing of His holy Word. 

5. To secret prayer, study of the Bible, public wor- 
ship, and hearing the Word, you will add the society 



508 THE SOCIETY OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 

of Christians engaged in the same warfare as your- 
self. This is commanded by our God ; and is of 
great advantage. We are social by nature ; and our 
companions must be infectious, if destitute of faith ; 
or greatly improving*, if we make a right choice. 
Love unfeigned to our Saviour must give us invin- 
cible aversion to the discourse and company which 
pour contempt upon all His excellency and precepts : 
nor is it possible, where the duty of men, in their 
business or office, does not oblige them to be in com- 
pany with profane and voluptuous men, to consort 
with them and be guiltless. The command is peremp- 
tory : " Go from the presence of a man, as soon as 
thou perceivest the words of wisdom are not in him." 
The warning is merciful, and very alarming : " A 
companion of fools shall be destroyed." And, lest 
worldly Interests, or a remaining love for the witty, 
enlivened conversation of profane people, should bribe 
us to believe we may sometimes associate with them, 
and yet receive no harm, the salutary advice is, " Be 
not deceived ; evil communications corrupt good man- 
ners." Your society, therefore, must be with real, 
not nominal, Christians; "for he that walketh with 
wise men shall be wise." 

But do not expect to find real Christians such as 
you may figure them in your own mind, nor scan 
their life with a severe eye. Judge of your fellow- 
soldiers by what you know of yourself, in earnest as 
you certainly are. Innate corruptions are very stub- 
born, and, though besieged, and doomed to death, 
make frequent sallies. Hard is the conflict to get 
the mastery over a besetting sin ; which is seldom 
obtained at once, or without many falls. Be jealous 
of the hypocrisy, natural to us all, of passing a favour- 



REAL CHRISTIANS VERY IMPERFECT. 509 

able judgment on our own condition, faulty as we 
are; yet condemning" others as dissemblers, for the 
same things we find in ourselves. Alas! the very 
best have abundant cause to think themselves vile: 
for it is notorious (whatever some may boast) that 
believers in Christ, one and all, are polluted, imper- 
fect, inconstant — impatient of each other's infirmities, 
and scarcely able to be at peace among themselves ; 
though they all experience, as they confess from day 
to day, the tender compassions of their Heavenly 
Father, under all their failures. 

Be not stumbled, if you meet with many hollow 
professors, talkative, and full of confidence on ac- 
count of their supposed conversion, and the know- 
ledge they have attained in spiritual things. So it 
has been from the beginning. Upright followers of 
the Lamb are few in every age : you may know them 
by their disclaiming, with equal care, all trust in their 
own spiritual attainments, and the baneful abuse of 
imputed righteousness and the election of grace ; by 
their tender fear of offending God ; by their humility 
and meekness, their generosity and compassion ; and 
the great benefit to be derived from their discourse, full 
of a Divine savour. With persons of this excellent 
sort, cultivate an intimacy : they will build you up in 
your holy faith ; they will establish you in every good 
purpose. You will burn with desire to be like them ; 
and, upon leaving their company, you will find a 
spirit of prayer spring up in your mind. 

6. But company, beyond a certain measure, is of 
bad consequence. Keeping much retired, and by 
ourselves, is most profitable for us all. Indeed, when 
our worldly business is attended to as it ought to 
be, and secret duties are punctually observed, there 



510 



IMPORTANCE OF RETIREMENT 



cannot remain a good deal of time for persons, in 
any station, to spend in company: and they who 
imagine that praying at certain seasons, hearing the 
Gospel, and then entering into a sort of general con- 
versation about religion and religious people, will be 
sufficient, are grievously mistaken. Unless we love 
(and contrive, as we are able) to be much alone, how 
can we often and solemnly call to remembrance the 
evil of our past life, so as to loathe ourselves ? — how 
feel contrition for the follies of our innate depravity? 
— how, with the blessed Mary, ponder in our hearts 
the sayings of our Lord ? — how enter deeply into His 
agony and death, the price of our peace and eternal 
life! — how weigh the value of our spiritual privi- 
leges, and the weight of the crown of glory laid up 
for the faithful? — how feel the strength and multi- 
tude of our obligations to live in exemplary obe- 
dience, constrained by love passing knowledge ? — 
Though the pastors of Christ's Church speak on 
these subjects, and they make part of every conver- 
sation, we must ruminate in private upon them, or 
they will never duly impress and fill our mind. 

Hence the most distinguished saints, before they 
entered on any arduous work for the glory of God or 
the good of men, did not think their purity of in- 
tention, or the promise of God's Spirit, sufficient, 
without preparing by much retirement. Moses, Elijah, 
Daniel, the Baptist, and our Lord Himself, teach us, 
by their practice, the benefit and necessity of being 
often and much alone. Great and many evils grow 
in the Church, from its pastors and people neglecting 
to copy these infallible examples. 

For want of being much alone, popular teachers 
are puffed up ; thence become contentious, jealous of 



TO PRIVATE CHRISTIANS AND TO PREACHERS. 511 

those they fear as their rivals, disputers, and abusers 
of their fellow-servants. For want of meditation in 
private upon the truths of God, professors of faith 
in Christ are arrant Pharisees, whilst they violently 
condemn pharisaism ; formalists, though they know it 
not, in the midst of perpetual exclamations against 
formality ; — for they can talk, without humiliation, of 
man's total corruption, and the sinfulness of sin; — 
they can talk, without gratitude, of redemption by the 
blood of God manifest in the flesh; and, without 
grief, on the hypocrisy and unbecoming lives of many 
who make profession of faith in Christ. Nothing, in 
their discourse on these deeply-affecting topics, strikes 
the hearer's mind as coming from a broken heart. 
This profanation of sacred truths, by talking of them 
with a careless, dissipated spirit, does much hurt ; and 
we incur guilt, like those who take the name of the 
Lord in vain. Yet this must be the case with us, 
unless there be a due mixture of solitude with society, 
to gird up t the loins of our minds, and effectually 
impress them, by much intercourse with God alone. 

With respect to the multitude of ignorant and 
licentious men, you must expect their ridicule and 
censure ; which by no means should gall or irritate 
your mind. You could not be a servant of Christ, 
were you approved by them. "If ye were of the 
world, the world would love its own : but because 
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out 
of the world, therefore the world hateth you/' 
The light in your mind is a distinguishing favour, 
which you are ever to remember. No one can 
believe there are such "things prepared for them 
that love God," as you know, till the eyes of their 
understanding are opened, as yours have been ; 



512 BEHAVIOUR TOWARD THE IGNORANT AND UNGODLY. 

and their incomparable excellence felt, as it has 
been in your soul. Yet, in this case, love hopeth 
all things, and endureth all things; — hopeth the 
time will come, when they, who think you mad, will 
worship with you in Spirit and in truth. Mean- 
while, love will enable you meekly to receive con- 
temptuous treatment, and hard speeches against 
your faith, your conduct, and your friends. Be not 
eager to justify yourself, nor over-forward to make 
converts by much speaking: an irksome truth be- 
comes more so by being unseasonably urged. Be- 
sides, wordy people are set down as loving to hear 
themselves talk; and novices are proud to gain 
proselytes, before they are themselves established in 
the Truth, or know their own religion. But in vic- 
tory over pride, anger, and all wickedness — in stead- 
fastly observing every rule of holy living laid down 
by our Saviour — in courteous behaviour to all men 
— in calmly urging the Word of God, when some 
favourable opportunity occurs of bearing testimony 
to the truth — in these things you cannot exceed. 
Wait patiently; and you will, by such irreproach- 
able and wise conduct, stop the mouth of prejudice, 
and win over some to come forth and live a Chris- 
tian life, as you do. 

I wish you much of the presence and peace of 
God in your soul; in your practice and tempers, 
much steadiness and love ; and a gracious answer 
to your prayers for your friends, relations, and fel- 
low-sinners. May we remember each other before 
God ; beseeching Him, that we may strongly recom- 
mend His Truth and service, by great usefulness, 
till we are for ever with Him ! 

From yours, &c. H. Venn. 



WAITING ON GOD IN PRAYER. 



513 



TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ. 
(directions FOR LEADING A CHRISTIAN LIFE.) 
MY DEAR COUSIN, Yelling, Jan. 23, 1777. 

I regret the loss we had in not seeing you in your 
way to town; not merely as the visit would have 
given us so much pleasure, but as I should have had 
an opportunity of talking very fully upon a subject of 
the last importance, and on which I can write but very 
imperfectly — I mean, your settlement in life. The 
whole family join with me in love to you both, and 
the most cordial wishes for your present and eternal 
welfare. This is what I am always wishing : and 
having, through the most adorable mercy and infinite 
condescension of God, been led into the way of peace 
myself — and to so much comfort every day as excites 
my astonishment — I would fain see all my fellow- 
sinners, and much more my friends and relations, 
brought into the same delightful enjoyment of life. I 
shall now, therefore, lay before you what I judge the 
sure and certain method of living a Christian life, 
profitable to men, and pleasing to God, in abundance 
of peace and hope, light and love from Heaven. 

The first material point is, a conscientious waiting 
upon God in prayer; not satisfied with bowing our 
knees, and beginning the day with devotion; — but, 
we must pray. I used long to exercise an idle luke- 
warm way of praying (by which I got nothing, but 
deluded my own soul) ; as if it were a necessary con- 
sequence of my corruption, which all felt, and all 
deplored. But to pray without attention, or without 
importunity — to pray with our hearts asleep, and 
worldly thoughts intruding, as guests of every cha- 
racter do into an inn — is hypocrisy. If we are not 

L L 



514 FAMILY WORSHIP MUST BE SPIRITUAL. 

grieved and afflicted at it, as our disease, and long 
for the Spirit's power, and confess our sinfulness* our 
religion is mere form. If we do lament it, we shall 
succeed ; and, generally, our secret approaches to the 
Throne of Grace will be refreshing, animating, and 
the sweetest hour of our life. 

When secret prayer is thus performed, one part of 
our earnest request will always be, that the worship 
of the family may be solemn and spiritual, affecting 
every member of it, and offered up with self-abase- 
ment from a company of vile sinners before a glorious 
God — a means of creating mutual affection and un- 
feigned good-will throughout the day. I have had 
family worship ever since I kept house ; but never, 
till within these five years, was concerned about car- 
rying it on as it ought to be. Not that any one could 
discover irreverence in my manner, or that I had not 
some desire God should be honoured ; but my desire 
was exceedingly small ; and I did not intercede with 
God, that we might never meet together without the 
exercise of repentance, faith, hope, and love, and 
without such a manifestation of His presence as He 
has promised to " two or three who are met together 
in His name." 

When secret and family worship is thus performed, 
the blessing is to be confidently expected, in a recol- 
lected and watchful frame of mind, amidst trials, and 
preparedness for them ; in a jealousy of self-will, which 
is ever working ; and in a fear of every thing that 
savours of a sour, angry, hasty spirit, the bane of 
domestic felicity, and the great contradiction to the 
Christian temper. At noon-day, as you are not en- 
gaged in business, you must contrive to find a season 
for retirement, to be with your God and Saviour. 



PRAYER THREE TIMES A-DAY. 



515 



Daniel and David did this, in the midst of all their 
great employments and numerous cares. Our Saviour 
did the same ; for He is the person speaking, when he 
says, "At evening, and morning, and noon-day, will I 
cry unto Thee ; and that instantly." Probably you 
will say, I am sadly at a loss what to pray for at each 
time. My rule is this : — when I do not pray, at noon, 
with Mrs. Venn — or if I do not find the Spirit of 
prayer when alone — I read some Psalm, or some of 
St. PauFs Epistles ; and presently find matter sug- 
gested from those Lively Oracles, and generally the 
Spirit of prayer too. And when you find you cannot 
pray, rise from your knees, stand, or sit down, and 
ponder deeply on the state of your heart : ask yourself 
some such questions as these : " Have I no sins to 
confess, no corruptions to lament ? Have I no need 
of pardon, or of the Holy Ghost, that I can be so 
stupid, so hard-hearted ? Oh, what a sinful man ! how 
sunk ! how fallen ! how unable to help myself! " — 
" Lord, arise ! " will follow : and if it does not, this 
solemn consideration of your own vileness will be 
exceedingly profitable to your soul, and endear the 
name of a Saviour, and convince you that you are saved 
through sovereign grace, abounding in God's Son. 

At evening, you must have a stated time for retire- 
ment, and preparation for family worship ; which I 
would entreat you always to have, in the morning, 
before breakfast ; and at evening, before supper. And 
never expect to prosper in your soul, if the food pre- 
pared for the body, or the setting out the table, bears 
any weight, compared with the spiritual repast for the 
soul, which family worship ought always to be, and 
regarded as one of the most solemn things which 
occur in the whole day. 

l l 2 



516 FRIENDLY VISITING. — PUBLIC WORSHIP. 

Make choice of serious servants ; praying to God, 
who will, in such cases, direct and provide. And then, 
by careful observation of these rules, you will enjoy 
His peace, you will walk in His light, you will receive 
what He published His Gospel to bestow, and be in- 
creasing with all the increase of God. Nothing higher, 
nothing greater than this, are you to expect. A family 
fearing God, working righteousness, obtaining pro- 
mises, living in peace and love, is a picture of Heaven 
in miniature. Such I pray your family may be ! 

There are two points more, of great moment — com- 
pany, and public worship. Nothing hurts the soul 
more than much acquaintance. The time is wasted — 
the attention is drawn off — an idle strain of conversa- 
tion, even about religious subjects, is indulged — the 
spirit of the world creeps in, and a pleasure in enter- 
taining, and appearing just as those who know not 
God. I believe more religious professors perish by 
this error than any other. Be therefore deliberate, and 
very discreet in the choice of your company. Always 
say to yourself : " Do I find either reproof, or exhor- 
tation, or comfort, or instruction in the great things of 
God, from their company ? Otherwise, what loss must 
I suffer, and how be thrown back, whilst I want every 
help to set me forward \" 

With regard to preaching, never leave your own 
pastor, who preaches the Gospel. For as rain, with- 
out which nothing can grow, may fall so often, and in 
such excess, as to prove no less hurtful than a drought ; 
so it is common, very common, for religious persons 
to hear, and hear, and hear, till they are very little 
alone- — are utter strangers to meditation — are as igno- 
rant of the Scriptures, and the interpretation of them 
by the Holy Ghost, as those who hear only ignorant 



LOW STANDARD OF THE RELIGIOUS WORLD. 517 

teachers. Once in the week, besides the LordVday, 
is certainly sufficient. I had rather spend one hour 
with the dearest friend I have upon earth, than hear 
him commended for days together. Private prayer, 
and meditation upon the blessed Word of God, is 
spending our time with the Beloved Jesus. The ser- 
mon is the commendation of His excellency. 

Some would now be apt to say : ' Must all this be 
done ? Surely it is not needful V — Judge from the 
shameful conduct of professors — from the complaints 
resounding, on every side, of masters against their 
domestics, and of servants against their superiors. 
Judge, from the worldly compliances so common 
amongst those who hear Christ's ministers, and can 
scarcely, in any thing else, be distinguished from na- 
tural men. Judge, from the few who are fervent in 
love, active in zeal, judicious and animating in their 
discourse, clothed in the heavenly robes of humility 
and righteousness — whose words are as goads, and 
their whole deportment a pattern. Judge, from the 
very great scarcity of such characters ; and see how 
absolutely needful it is to do more than others, and to 
labour, in the way I have pointed out, for " that meat 
which endureth unto everlasting life." The general 
ruinous mistake of professing Christians is, that jus- 
tification by faith, imputed righteousness, electing 
grace, and everlasting love, are to be believed and 
extolled, and heard with great eagerness ; — and then, 
alas ! they stop. Not so the Word of God : it teaches 
all these doctrines, but as means of engaging our hope, 
establishing our faith, spiritualizing our affections, 
conquering the world, and making us long for the 
coming of the Lord, to whom we are dear as the bride 
to the bridegroom, and whose presence without a veil 



518 



" HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 



can alone satisfy us. Oh the deplorable apostacy 
from a Christian spirit, whilst the doctrine of grace is 
maintained with zeal ! I pray God ever to preserve 
us from such abuse ; and make us long to be well- 
pleasing, in all our ways and doings, to Him whom 
we call our Lord and our Redeemer ! 

I am so well recovered, that next week I purpose 
beginning my usual course of work, which has been 
for more than a month suspended. I ride every day ; 
and God has been pleased to recruit my strength. 
I was so weak, as not to be able to pray with my 
family for near a fortnight. My son, by the help of 
Mr. J enks, was my chaplain. 

You cannot think how I rejoice to hear that the 
minister so justly dear to us both is again able to 
lift up his voice, and cry, " Behold the Lamb ! 33 Oh, 
may he run, and all ! of us who are now in our last 
stage, as racers always do, the swiftest — catch much 
of the fire from heaven before we enter, and be evi- 
dently transformed and fitted for that world of the 
Redeemed ! 

If you and dear Mrs. Brasier are not dismayed at 
this long epistle, let us hear from you soon, and how 
you go on. 

From your affectionate cousin, 

H. Venn. 

P. S. Mrs. Venn, as well as myself, hope to have 
the pleasure of waiting upon you and my cousin, in 
Yelling Rectory ; but shall first, most probably, see 
you at your own house in the spring. It is a noble 
promise to the Christian Church, expressed rather 
darkly — " In that day shall there be upon the bells of 
the horses, 4 Holiness to the Lord 3 ; yea, every vessel 



ANTICIPATION OF THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT. 519 



in Jerusalem and Judah shall be, ' Holiness unto the 
Lord of Hosts 5 33 ! The meaning is, The whole family 
shall be holy ; and all that is done in it shall be done 
from a pure intention to please God. Such may your 
house be ! and " the eyes of the Lord be upon it for 
good," from the beginning to the end of the year ! 
Whatever comforts and blessings you enjoy together 
(and may they be many !) still may you both be look- 
ing forward to that grand immortal life with the 
Church triumphant, in the presence of the Lamb, for 
which your souls are forming! There I hope to 
meet you ; and not yield to any one, in the whole 
armies of the saved, in acknowledging my marvellous 
deliverance freely bestowed on the vilest and most 
abominable of men ! Then, how different from what 
we know now — our knowledge of ourselves, and of our 
sin — of our Redeemer, and His love ! How different 
our feelings, our services, and our delight ! 

Could we leave our foolish dreaming 
Of a fancied heaven below, 

And see Jesus' glory beaming, 
How our souls would long to go ! 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 

(ON THE DOUBTS AND FEARS OF UPRIGHT CHRISTIANS.) 

Yelling, Nov. 25, 1777. 

It is nearly a week since I had a momentary inter- 
view with your Ladyship. Since that time, you have 
been scarcely an hour out of my mind. 

Base worm as I am, I yet feel much for every one 
who has begun the glorious warfare of a Christian. 
I feel still more, when one is plucked from among the 



520 UPRIGHT CHRISTIANS LIABLE TO DOUBTS. 

high ones of the earth, as " a brand out of the fire'' ; 
— when there is found in Caesar's household an 
Honourable Lady, bold to confess the faith of Christ 
Crucified; and returning to the Ark of God, like 
Noah's dove, over a vast world of waters gaping to 
swallow her up. 

Let this be my apology, if your Ladyship should 
think I need one, for sending you, unasked, this no 
short epistle. It comes from an aged servant of that 
ever-blessed Lord who has revealed Himself to you as 
all your salvation. 

From the few words you dropped in the Chapel, I 
at once understood your case to be the same with the 
greater part of the family of our Saviour : for, strange 
as it may sound, it is too true, that few, comparatively 
very few, upright Christians are free from gloomy 
doubts and fears ! The universal cause, in these ex- 
cellent persons, is a discovery of manifold sins and 
corruptions of heart, to which they were once 
strangers. They now feel prodigious unbelief, and 
often a brutish stupidity of mind. They often are 
devoid of the Spirit of prayer, of delightful communion 
with God, and of any sensible impressions from the 
love of Christ. They feel pride and sloth, and self- 
love, fighting for the mastery, &c. &c. &c. For these 
things they are sadly cast down. — But we may say, 
to such upright Christians ; How read ye the Scrip- 
tures ? Is it not written, that the " flesh," in God's 
Children, 44 lusteth against the Spirit ; " and that they 
even bear about with them what properly deserves the 
dreadful name of a 44 body of death 33 ? 

In every age, the most useful and excellent in 
Christ's Church, even when sure of eternal glory, have 
been compelled to cry out, 44 Oh, wretched man that I 



SECURITY AGAINST SELF-DECEPTION. 521 

am!" Your soul, blessed be God! is athirst to re- 
semble the chief of his saints. It is a divine ambition ; 
— yet you forget that the very complaints, so bitter to 
your soul, were found in them all — the same change 
in their spiritual frames — the same involuntary wan- 
derings in prayer, and manifold deficiencies. On this 
account, even St. Paul concluded himself " less than 
the least of all saints," and had no confidence in him- 
self. 

Indeed, were not our case here thus deplorably de- 
fective, what need of atoning blood to cleanse the 
best — of " the righteousness of God, which is, by faith, 
unto all, and upon all, them that believe" — of mercy 
in its brightest display — of all the wonderful process 
in the salvation of the Church ? every part of which 
supposes, in the heirs of glory, defects and stains, 
which have excited their tears and groans, in all ages. 
Besides, daily observation proves, that no sooner do 
we lose a sense of our vileness, than self-preference, 
or a conceit of our perfection, rises up in the mind. 
We should therefore be humbled to the dust, from the 
knowledge of ourselves : but so long as Christ is our 
only hope and our peace, and the supreme desire of 
our souls is to serve and please Him in newness of 
life, never let us one moment give place to a doubting 
temper, whether we are in Him, and He in us. This, 
I can have no doubt, is every day your aim. " Be, 
therefore, of good cheer!" is the command of all the 
Prophets, Apostles, and the Saviour — which you are 
to realise, as if addressed to you by name — " thy faith 
hath saved thee." 

" Still," you may be ready to reply, " I am afraid 
lest I should be deceived, and at last be found a 
hypocrite/' — Against this ruinous self-deception there 



522 AGAINST HARD THOUGHTS OF GOD. 

is an infallible security. Pray thus : " Try me, O 
God ! and seek the ground of my heart ; prove me, 
and examine my thoughts ; look well if there be any 
way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way 
everlasting ! 33 When this prayer is repeatedly offered 
up, to suppose it possible our most gracious and loving 
Father should permit us to be imposed on to our ruin, 
is at once to deny His goodness, and all success in 
prayer. 

Your Ladyship fears lest you should be found at 
last a hypocrite. No Child of God but has had this 
fear ; some for a shorter, others for a longer time. It 
is often of great service, to excite to greater vigilance 
and diligence, till love casts out this uneasy fear. 
But I would have you fear, also, and pray against 
hard thoughts of God : these are natural to us. Be- 
fore we are awakened, and believe the Word of God, 
we think, foolishly, that He is such an one as our- 
selves ; and then daringly live in the way of self- 
indulgence, and conformity to a world which hates 
Him : saying, ** Tush ! there shall no harm happen 
unto us \ 33 — though all the penalties and pains de- 
nounced on the children of disobedience stand in full 
force against us. After the remembrance of this our 
wicked way is become grievous to us ; and we even 
loathe ourselves, for what we have been, and what we 
have done against our glorious God ; then we are be- 
set with sad apprehensions, as if He were implacable. 
Though His nature be love, His mercies over all the 
works of His hands, His long-sufferings — as you and 
I know — exceedingly great ; though he swears by 
Himself, He hath "no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked we are still apt to fear He will be extreme 
to mark what is done amiss in us. Though He loved 



GOOD EFFECTS OF CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE. 523 

our persons when we were dead in trespasses, and 
delivered up His Son for us when we were enemies, 
we fear He does not love us, to save our souls, after 
we are reconciled. 

You should fear denying the tender compassion of 
our Great and Merciful High Priest, and calling His 
most faithful promises into question. You should fear 
being guilty of entertaining low thoughts of His blood, 
as if it only cleansed the most advanced in holiness — 
not Jerusalem sinners, who had execrated His person, 
and shed His blood, with blasphemous exultation over 
His agonies. You should fear, also, disobedience to 
His repeated commands (though He knows all your 
defilement, and just causes of complaint against your- 
self) of rejoicing in the Lord, whilst you have no 
ground of confidence in yourself. You should fear 
grieving the Spirit of God, who is the Comforter given 
to make glad the Church of God ; and vouch the per- 
fection of the sacrifice offered by Christ, and accepted, 
as the full, perfect, and sufficient payment of their 
debt who flee to Him for refuge. 

I would now address your Ladyship upon another 
topic. — Your choice and separation from the great 
world, absorbed in gaiety and pleasure, must have 
been, and often still is, the subject of much conversa- 
tion among your relations and friends. It is designed, 
by your Beloved Lord, as a call to them ; and will no 
doubt be, in some instances, the blessing you desire 
it should. Yet, humanly speaking, the advantage 
they will gain depends on your refuting two errors, 
which they grasp with all their might, and expect to 
see confirmed by your conduct and feeling. 

The first is, that imagination, not sound reason — 
designing priests, not the word of the Living God — 



524 



CHRISTIAN STEADINESS. 



have led you into this religious path. " Now/ 5 say 
they, " you will find we judge right ; for you will 
perceive in her Ladyship no steadiness, but a varia- 
tion continually in her judgment and sentiments. 
First, this thing must be renounced, all innocent as it 
is ; then another. First, this preacher will be the 
oracle ; by and bye, his sermons will be of no worth. 
At one time, those principles will be insisted on as 
absolutely needful, which, before the year ends, will 
be discarded as erroneous. In a word, you will ob- 
serve her driven with the wind, like a ship at sea 
without a compass/' 

The effectual refutation of these injurious surmises 
will be your maintaining, with all perseverance, the 
substantial, never-changing difference between the 
Children of God and the Children of the Wicked-one ; 
which is this — a sober, that is, a vigilant, righteous, 
and godly life, from the knowledge of Christ, and love 
unfeigned to His name. There is nothing greater, or 
higher, or more spiritual, than this. The heights of 
the soaring, greatly-deluded perfectionist, or any pe- 
culiarities on which devotees lay a mighty stress, are 
of no use, to say the least. But a constant study of 
Scripture, a wise choice of a few heavenly-minded 
acquaintance, a serious and earnest use of prayer, and 
love for the House of God, where some faithful mes- 
senger expounds the Scriptures — this cannot be cen- 
sured as the work of imagination, nor charged with 
levity. And when the benefit of these means for spi- 
ritual life and godliness is evidenced, in humility, and 
meekness, and good-will to all who are in connexion 
with you as friends, relations, and domestics, you are 
a Christian altogether : you are — what the Bible de- 
scribes — a new creature, an example, a comfort, a 



" A CHRISTIAN ALTOGETHER.' 3 



525 



blessing : angels minister to you : God teaches you : 
Christ is your life, and Heaven your everlasting habi- 
tation. You will be separate from the world, as you 
should be ; and they in vain will seek to find any 
thing ridiculous or absurd in your conduct and prin- 
ciples. By persevering — without turning aside to any 
sect, or being at a loss to know which is the way you 
should walk in — they will be forced to confess you 
know the certainty of the words of Truth, and are 
fixed upon the Rock. 

The other error the world grasps, and which, by 
your feelings, they hope to have confirmed beyond a 
doubt, that the service of Christ has nothing at present 
to recommend it : it is hard and melancholy, tending 
to bondage and despair. " The very people/ 5 say the 
world, " who have got into this religious way, are 
heartily tired, and would be glad, with all their hearts, 
to get back again to us, but for the terrors of their 
cruel superstition, and the positive denunciations of 
misery thundered out against them by their teachers, 
should they return to us. 55 Indeed, if such as your 
Ladyship, who have given up yourself to Christ's 
service, daily watching at His gates, and praying to 
Him for His grace — if such are not fully satisfied and 
established in peace, they will think themselves justi- 
fied in rejecting the yoke of Christ as an insupportable 
burden, and will explode, as cant, the affirming that 
His service is perfect freedom, and an intercourse of 
dearest friendship and Divine love ! 

Now you will confute and confront this injurious 
conclusion, when you walk in light and peace, in 
hope, and a sweet sense of the Divine presence with 
you, as a duteous child. But you will answer: 
" This is not in my power, any more than to command 



526 



PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN JOY. 



the sun to shine/' I reply : It is the will of God con- 
cerning those who are in Christ Jesus, that they 
should rejoice in the Lord, no less than be subject to 
His authority ; that their joy should be full, no less 
than their lives be holy. Both are equally beyond 
their power to attain ; but both are to be the matter 
of our repeated petitions, and urged with importunity. 
As children in our Saviour's family, we have a right 
to plead, in some such terms as these, with Him : — 
" Lord ! I entreat Thee, not only for the comfort 
of my own soul, but for the glory of Thy Name, 
make me glad with the joy of Thy salvation! 
Enable me to express the blessings I enjoy under 
Thy government ! O King of Saints ! fain would I 
chase away the prejudices so many have against Thee, 
as a hard and austere Master ! Oh, my Lord ! forbid 
it, that I should ever prove a stumbling-block in their 
way ! Following after Thee, I have come out from 
them, and am separate : they narrowly observe me : 
they expect to see me wretched, and miserable, and 
melancholy. Anoint me with the oil of gladness ! 
fill me with peace and joy in believing! make me 
abound in hope, through the Holy Ghost given unto 
me, that I may speak good of the Name of the Lord ; 
and my heart dance within me for joy, whilst I tell of 
Thy loving-kindness ! " 

Such requests, persevered in, will and must be an- 
swered, in due time, and in the best manner. I shall 
share in your felicity; and, should we meet again, my 
soul would bless the Lord to hear you say, " I know 
whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is 
able to keep that which I have committed unto Him ! 33 

Though I have done my best, I know not whether 
you can read my writing without great difficulty. 



ON THE STUDY OF HEBREW. 



527 



Our dear friends in St. James's Place will help you 
to decipher the character. May " every good and 
perfect gift" be multiplied upon you ! 

Yours, &c. H. Venn. 



It is necessary to state the circumstance under which the 
next Letter was written. A clergyman of Mr. Venn's ac- 
quaintance having taken up the notion that the English Trans- 
lation of the Bible was very incorrect — and that it was of 
paramount importance, for obtaining right views of the Truth, 
to study the original languages — zealously urged his newly- 
adopted views upon his friends and hearers. Mr. Venn, 
therefore, drew up the following statement of his own opinion 
on the subject; and sent the Letter to the clergyman 
alluded to. 

It must be carefully observed, however, that Mr. Venn's 
objections against the critical study of the Hebrew are to be 
chiefly applied to the cases of clergymen engaged in the 
active duties of the ministry, or other persons who have little 
time or talent for the study of languages. Mr. Venn was 
very anxious that his son, whilst at College, should acquire a 
competent knowledge of the Hebrew, which he thought was 
far too much neglected by Students in Divinity generally. 

If the Letter be read with these preliminary remarks in 
view, it will afford much useful advice. And it proves, for the 
comfort of those who are ignorant of the original languages, 
the full sufficiency of Translations to convey the knowledge of 
the Truth to humble and devout inquirers. 



528 GENERAL CHARACTER OF HEBREW CRITICS. 



TO A CLERGYMAN. 
(ON THE STUDY OP THE HEBREW LANGUAGE ; AND THE SUFFI- 
CIENCY OF TRANSLATIONS TO CONVEY THE KNOWLEDGE OF 
THE TRUTH.) 

Yelling^ Jan. 3, 1780. 
Your zealous endeavours, my dear friend, to make 
me entertain the same idea of the great use of Hebrew 
learning which now so fully possesses your own mind, 
is owing to the real regard you bear for me. But, as 
this subject draws us into debate, and diverts us from 
better things, I now send you my reasons at large, 
which compel me totally to differ from you in this 
matter. 

First, I must premise, that I readily allow great 
masters in the Oriental tongues are well employed in 
their study ; because, in general, they are men evi- 
dently strangers to the life of God in the soul, whilst 
they possess fine abilities for verbal criticism. Their 
works, therefore, I read diligently ; and when they 
bring satisfactory evidence for a reading different 
from the Authorised Translation, I adopt their correc- 
tions : just as classical men do those of Dacier, Fran- 
cis, and Hurd, in Horace, without the drudgery of 
searching all the volumes they have done. Some 
places in the Psalms I have corrected by Dr. S. 
Chandler ; some in Job, by Mr. Peters ; some in Isaiah 
I have done by Bishop Lowth ; &c. &c. Yet, before 
such eminent critics in the Hebrew tongue corrected 
our Translation, respecting several unintelligible sen- 
tences, the Sacred Books were, in their substance, no 
less profitable (saving in these few places) to every 
reader. And, upon the most exact inquiry, I cannot 



THE TRANSLATORS OF THE BIBLE. 529 

say that I have received from their labours one new 
spiritual idea, or any instruction in religious doctrines 
I possessed not before I adopted their emendations of 
the Text. These amount to no more, in my judg- 
ment, than taking away a few blemishes on the fingers 
or toes of the noblest statue the world ever saw; 
which, though it be a pleasing and desirable work, 
adds nothing to the grand idea the statue itself im- 
presses. 

I observe further, that even those excellent emenda- 
tions, made by these celebrated critics, are still a 
Translation ; not — what you seem to lay such mighty 
stress upon — the Original Hebrew : so that, when I 
adopt their corrections, in one place I receive Chan- 
dler's, in another Lowth's, version, instead of our 
established one. And the utmost the ablest Hebrew 
scholar can attain to, is no more than to prefer his own 
interpretation of the Original Text, as better than 
that of a number of scholars more deeply learned in 
the same tongue than himself. For what a prodigy of 
parts, and application too, must he be, and what a 
high conceit of his own intellect must he possess, who 
can think himself more able to translate the Hebrew 
than Forty-seven men skilled in that tongue, and 
therefore selected for the work out of all the Divines 
then in the kingdom — men, who did not lean to their 
own understanding, but looked up to the Father of 
Lights for direction and teaching ; some of them con- 
fessors for the Truth — men who studied more hours in 
a week than modern scholars in a month — men who 
lived so truly the life of Children of God, and mem- 
bers of Christ, that none of us can keep pace with 
them ! These forty-seven men were diligently em- 
ployed near three whole years about this great work, 

M M 



530 



VINDICATION OF THE 



and conducted it by the best rules one can conceive. 
Now, is there the least degree of probability that any 
individual Hebrew scholar should have acuteness, 
learning", and judgment so superior to these forty-seven 
truly venerable scholars, as to be justified in calling 
their version " lies," but his own version the Word of 
God? 

I now extract, from a very valuable book (Dr. 
Fuller's Church History), the Rules our Translators 
observed in their important work : — 

1. The Bible read in the Church (called the 
Bishops 5 ) was to be followed, and as little altered as 
the Original will allow. 

2. Every particular man, of each company, was to 
take the same chapter or chapters : and having trans- 
lated or amended them severally by himself, where he 
thought good, all were to meet together, to compare 
what they had done, and agree what should stand. 

3. As any one company (the forty-seven were 
divided into six companies) has despatched any one 
Book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest, to 
be considered of seriously. 

4. If any one of the company, upon the review of 
the Book, shall doubt or differ upon the places, they 
are to send the rest word of it, noting the places, and 
offering their reasons : to which if they consent not, 
the matter is to be determined at the general meeting, 
which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at 
the end of the work. 

5. When any place of special obscurity is doubted 
of, letters, directed by Royal Authority, are to be sent 
to any learned in the land, for his judgment on such a 
place. 

6. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest 



ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. 



531 



of his clergy, admonishing them of this Translation ; 
and to move and charge all, who are skilful in the 
tongues, and who have taken pains in that way, to 
send his own particnlar observations. 

7. The Translation by Tindal, or Matthewe, or 
Coverdale, Whitchurch, or [that of] Geneva, to be 
used, when they agree better with the Original than 
the Bishops' Bible agrees. 

Besides observing these Rules, they compared the 
Italian, Spanish, and Dutch Versions. 

Xow, let any scholar, free from prejudice, consider 
all the learning and piety, the industry, judgment, and 
care, used by this assembly (who had also the help of 
the whole fund of learning in Hebrew, at that time, in 
the kingdom) ; and then say, Whether there is reason 
to think any private person is likely, by his own pains, 
to translate the Text better than they have done? 
Strange ! if even Vitringa, Lowth, or Kennicott, 
should be able to translate — I will not say the whole 
Hebrew Bible, but even a considerable part of it — 
with so few mistakes, as the most venerable assembly, 
probably, that ever sat in the world have made ! The 
experiment, in many instances, has been tried, and 
confirms my conclusion ; for Lowth corrects Kenni- 
cott : Kennicott, Lowth ; — a third great critic corrects 
them Jboth ! So much did I observe of this, early in 
life, to my great grief, as to make me pay little de- 
ference, ever after, to critics, or their corrections in 
general. 

The conclusion therefore is plain : — I must either 
hold, every Hebrew scholar is more to be trusted as 
a faithful interpreter of the Text, on the force of his 
own learning and abilities, than all our Translators : 
or, I must allow their version, upon the whole, is 

M H 2 



532 ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. 

much more likely to be the meaning of the Text ; 
which, in general, is the conclusion I hold. 

When you call our Translation " lies/ 3 and not the 
Word of God, you bring no proof of your very crude 
assertion. Our Bible relates the Creation of the 
world in six days — the Fall, and its consequences — 
the Universal Flood — the Promise of Christ — the Call 
of Abraham — the history of his posterity — the cha- 
racter, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and offices 
of Christ — the exceeding great and precious promises 
of life through Him — and universal Resurrection and 
Judgment to come. Now, our souls need nothing 
more, for doctrine, than these great things, taught by 
the Holy Ghost : on these are founded our knowledge, 
faith, love, hope, peace — and our salvation is secured : 
and all these great things are entirely independent of 
every obscure passage which it is the work and joy of 
the verbal critic to set right. You should, therefore, 
my friend, either prove to me that these great things, 
in God's Law, are not every way, of themselves, when 
taught by the Holy Ghost, sufficient for all spiritual 
life and godliness ; or prove, that our Translation 
gives a very deficient account of these matters, far 
different from the Original. Till this is done (which 
I never heard was attempted), I must conclude we 
have the substance of the Word of God as truly in a 
Translation as in the Hebrew Bible ; and that every 
real Christian, who now devoutly ponders on his 
English Bible, has before his eyes the Oracles of God ; 
and no less hears His voice, than if he could read the 
Hebrew, and understand it as well as Isaiah himself. 

Further : when you contemptuously reproach the 
English Bible, and call it " lies, 3 ' because there are in 
it many faults, you seem to forget the Hebrew Text 



IMPERFECT STATE OF THE HEBREW. 533 

itself is very far from being absolutely pure or intel- 
ligible. The Arabic, the Syriac, the Chaldee Versions 
are often ransacked, in vain, to explain a word or sen- 
tence in the Text. How often, in one single Book of 
the Prophets, does Bishop Lowth interpret the Hebrew, 
and correct it, by the Septuagint ! whilst Bishop War- 
burton goes so far as to say, the Hebrew without the 
Septuagint would be as unintelligible as a cipher 
without its key. Again : how many words are left 
out ! how many are put in ! How does Bishop 
Lowth lament the very imperfect state (n. b. in the 
superlative degree) of the Hebrew Text — " never (says 
he) to be recovered " ! Notwithstanding all this, you 
call the Hebrew Scriptures the Word of God — and 
justly ; because all these errata and interpolations, 
taken together, and made the most of which an enemy 
can, bear no proportion to what is pure ; nor at all 
affect either the grand and marvellous facts, or the es- 
sential doctrines of the Christian Faith. What bigoted 
partiality then, and how cruel to English readers of 
their Bible, to call it " lies" because it has many faults 
— more, perhaps, than the Hebrew ! The only lawful 
conclusion from hence, as it appears to me, is, that 
the Providence of the All- wise God has permitted these 
things, in order to humble men who would exalt them- 
selves on account of their Hebrew learning, as if they 
had those superior advantages over common Christians, 
which they are so ready to claim. These things, being 
permitted, prove that the great end, for which " all 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God," is fully at- 
tainable in every Translation, no less than by the know- 
ledge of the Original ; and that both learned and un- 
learned equally need the Spirit of Truth, without which 
neither the Original nor a Version will do the soul good. 



534 DIVINE KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED BY PRAYER. 

This leads to another remark : That our God never 
prescribes a critical study of the Hebrew Text ; but a 
very different way, which every contrite spirit always 
chooses. He commands — He repeatedly commands — 
and urges us, to seek, with vehement prayer, as a matter 
of life, and to cry unto Him, for knowledge in Divine 
things. Whilst His Oracles are before us, assuring us, 
that this Divine knowledge, of peerless excellence, is 
not the mere fruit of study and learning, but His gift : 
Prov. ii. 1 — 9. Should I therefore search indefatigably 
for a correct Hebrew Text, if I did not at the same 
time with importunity implore God to teach me, I 
should indeed be guilty of a sinful neglect ; and God 
would say of all the pains I took to get Hebrew 
learning, " What is this to me ; even to me ? saith 
the Lord !" From Him I can never find the least in- 
timation that His adorable Word would be sadly per- 
verted by a bad translation ; — though Christ and his 
Apostles knew perfectly well that the Scriptures could 
not possibly be read by the Gentiles (one in a thousand 
excepted), unless read in a version. They give not a 
single hint of any evil which was to arise to the Church 
from this ; though Christ very plainly told the Phari- 
sees, that they, by their tradition, made the command- 
ment of God of none effect. And this remark is much 
to my purpose ; as there is good reason to believe the 
Hebrew Text, in his time, had faults. — St. Paul, in 
his directions to Timothy and Titus, to choose pastors, 
never bids them be careful not to lay hands on any 
Christian who had sinfully neglected to read the 
Hebrew Bible. 

Translations were early made ; and these were used 
by the Primitive Fathers, who, it is notorious, under- 
stood not the Hebrew. St. Jerome was the first, 



ILLITERATE CHRISTIANS. 



535 



eminent for Hebrew knowledge; not a Primitive 
Father : — and his (the Vulgate) Translation, though 
the most faulty perhaps of any, is yet proved, by the 
learned Professor Michaelis, to have been of great use 
to all succeeding translators of the Hebrew Bible. 
Indeed, the situation of the Christian Church in the 
Apostles' days, and for more than three centuries fol- 
lowing, made it impossible for them to read the 
Original ; for manuscripts were very dear, consequently 
very scarce ; and the major part of the Christians were 
the poorest of mankind. All the Bible they could 
have was unspeakably short of what the very worst 
version contains : it was nothing but the Word of Life 
faithfully preached to them by the pastors of the 
Church, with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven : 
still they possessed the whole in its essence, sufficient 
to make them a pattern to all generations in the 
Church. The case, from that day to this, is nearly 
the same. Multitudes of the inhabitants in our land 
never saw the inside of a Bible * ; yet, whilst preachers 
declare the substance of it, the Holy Ghost opens their 
understanding, reveals Christ, and brings what is 
needful to their remembrance, sufficient to make them 
lead a new life, do credit to their profession, and die 
in peace. I reflect with pleasure, how many instances 
of this kind are registered in the Book of Life, through 
your preaching, to poor sinners, Jesus, and Him Cru- 
cified. From this indisputable fact, I consider your 
position, * that the Word of God is only to be known 
by reading the Hebrew/ as a sinful attempt to limit 

* At the time this Letter was written, neither was reading so 
general among the poor as at the present day ; nor were Bibles so 
universally dispersed as they have since been, through the glorious 
instrumentality of Bible Societies. 



536 NECESSARY TRUTHS ARE PLAIN. 

the Holy One of Israel to one way of revealing His 
salvation, and making the soul meet for His presence, 
which He has not at all declared to be so — a way 
which not one in a thousand can ever put in practice. 
So that all common illiterate Christians, whose " de- 
light is in the Law of the Lord," as they have it in the 
Translation, may say, ' Neither Christ nor his Apostles 
ever hint that the Word of God may not be savingly 
known, and all its benefits fully enjoyed, by reading 
the Bible in our mother tongue. — Why should any, 
who call themselves Christians, peremptorily deny this?' 

Further, it is the universal consent of all Divines, 
with Chrysostom, II a vra ra ava^Kaia co-riv hrj\a, "All 
things necessary to be known, are manifest." If so, 
then, whatever is not to be known but by scholars 
and masters in the Hebrew tongue, cannot with truth 
be ranked higher than among matters of curiosity and 
amusement, which may employ idle men of a critical 
taste, as the whole system of plants employed the at- 
tention of Solomon. Yet he who possessed the largest 
intellect ever given to mere man had probably never 
been such a reproach to the Israel of God, had he 
spent more of his precious time upon ra ava^Kala 
<$tj\a, and less in making the wonderful discoveries he 
did in the creation of God ! Indeed he tells us so, 
when he was recovered, and the right use of his un- 
derstanding was given to him. Then his conclusion 
is, what all real Christians, however unlettered, make 
effectually as he did : " Fear God, and keep His 
commandments ; for this is the whole " — duty, busi- 
ness, and happiness — " of man." This very remarkable 
instance of Solomon, and the practice of all the 
Scripture saints, certainly lead us to this conclusion, 
that when we neglect what is of infinite value, through 



CRITICAL RESEARCH HINDERS PASTORAL DUTIES. 537 

a passionate pursuit after things of little weight, we 
are guilty of sinful neglect, and are sadly deluded. 

Further, the word of God, in Hebrew, Greek, and 
English, especially charges all pastors and teachers to 
be examples to the flock in the vigorous exercise of 
all zeal for the souls of men, and to see well to it 
that they fulfil the ministry they have received. Such 
pastors of the Church, all agree, are the glory of 
Christ. No blame need they ever fear from His lips, 
for giving themselves up so wholly to this work, 
as to have neither time nor inclination for a 
thing so immaterial as an accurate investigation of 
the Hebrew Text ; when it is allowed that all things 
necessary to be known are the same in every Version 
as in the Original. It is, to all intents and purposes, 
sufficient : by the English Bible their souls were con- 
verted ;— by that, through the Divine Spirit's influence, 
they have been quickened, comforted, established, and 
made ready to every good word and work. Blessed 
are those servants whom the Lord, at His coming, 
shall find in this state ! 

On the contrary, if the time and thoughts of those 
who are ministers of Christ are principally employed 
to become masters in Oriental learning (and such 
they certainly should be, who take upon them to vilify 
the Translation), their application to this business will 
leave but a fragment of time for secret prayer, devout 
meditation, or preparation to carry on family worship 
with any life or benefit or pleasure ; and still less will 
it leave of that frame of mind which is essential to 
true worship. For, after investigating a Hebrew 
Root, or endeavouring to elucidate a dark passage by 
the aid of Buxtorf, Pagninus, Gussetius, Cocceius, 
&c. &c. (a critic always consults these famous Lexico- 



538 



CRITICAL RESEARCH LIABLE 



graphers) — after this business, which has no relation 
to the devout exercises of the heart, the mind will 
still be running upon the reasons each different author 
offered for his sense of the passage, or derivation of 
the root, or aiming at some happier conjecture. Smit- 
ten with the lust of correcting an established version, 
and, imperceptibly to themselves, filled with the 
flattering idea of their own great ingenuity, such 
scholars will be indefatigable in searching for evidence 
to support their own interpretation — be exceedingly 
partial, through self-love, to their own important 
discoveries — very violent and obstinate in defence of 
them — and, narrow as is the human mind, and not 
made to pass, by a quick transition from things so 
foreign from all communion with God, to a profitable 
use of the means of grace, such pastors will grow cool 
to all exercises of the mind which are truly spiritual, 
and cease to do good to the flock of Christ — the 
Church He has purchased with His own blood. Now, 
for my own part, I do not see how any pastor in the 
Church of Christ can justify himself, if this be the 
effect of studying Hebrew learning intensely ; — and 
that no other effect is generally experienced, there are 
too many melancholy proofs. 

Our Saviour tells us, doctrines are to be tried by 
their fruits. We may safely apply this to our studies, 
and to scholars of greatest note. Consequently, if 
we saw strenuous pleaders for the necessity and vast 
benefit of Hebrew learning go far beyond all others 
in compassion for perishing sinners — in zeal for en- 
larging the Kingdom of Messiah — and imitating His 
example, so that not a relation, friend, or acquaint- 
ance could be with them without receiving good to 
their souls — we should then, without hesitation, allow 



TO HINDER PASTORAL DUTIES. 



539 



they did well, and could never too highly exalt the 
usefulness of that knowledge which brought forth 
such good fruits. But, where are these excellent 
effects found to proceed from an indefatigable appli- 
cation to Hebrew learning ? On the contrary, I know 
several Hebrew scholars, who no sooner came to the 
knowledge of themselves and of Christ, and were fired 
with an Apostolic desire to save sinners, than they 
relinquished their pursuit of Hebrew learning. Mr. 
Clarke, of Chesham Boyce ; Mr. Stillingfleet, of Wor- 
cester ; Mr. Berridge, and others— I have authority to 
say — did so. The same was my own case : and all for 
the same reason ; — we found that, in reading the He- 
brew, our attention was called off to consult the 
Lexicographers, and very much of our time taken up 
in inquiring whether the Text was rendered best by 
such and such a derivation of the Root. Without 
therefore consulting at all together, we all gave up 
ourselves to our ministerial work ; — and I believe not 
one of us has ever repented. 

I have many further objections against exalting 
the Hebrew Text as you do, to the utter disparage- 
ment of the Translation ; — first, with respect to in- 
fidels ; but still more, to the multitude of unlettered 
people ; and, most of all, to the faithful in Christ Jesus. 

You observe what work Voltaire makes of the Vul- 
gate, to reproach the Scripture. Would he make less 
advantage of the assertion of learned divines, that 
the Bible, in the Translation, is a book of lies ? Yet 
have the Scriptures never been known in the Christian 
Church, to one in a thousand, but in a Translation. — 
What could that daring blasphemer have wished for 
more, than what Bishop Lowth and Bishop Warbur- 
ton, and many more, allow to be the state of the 



540 EVIL OF DISPARAGING TRANSLATIONS. 

Hebrew Text ? Would he not cry out with triumph, 
" Nobody can tell what the Text is — so many are the 
errata and the interpolations ! The Text is just what 
they are pleased to make it. I think they can say 
nothing more to their purpose against the Transla- 
tion !" — But scoffers will be scoffers still, and never 
want a stumbling-block to take offence at. 

The case of the illiterate deserves our considera- 
tion. They immediately (I have known many in- 
stances) conclude, that if the Translation is materially 
wrong in some places, it may be so in many more, 
and especially in what strikes directly at their fa- 
vourite lusts. A gentleman of my acquaintance had 
a servant who had heard the English Bible not over- 
respectfully treated ; and, upon being admonished by 
his master, that servants were commanded not to 
answer again, when reproved — " O, Sir ! " says he, 
" that, I am told, is a wrong translation." How often 
do I hear this, even among the common people I And 
the consequences of such a notion are bad enough. 
Yet there is still something worse and more cruel, in 
this matter, than what concerns infidels, or the un- 
lettered multitude. 

I am grieved beyond measure to see the Children 
of God startled, and confounded, and distressed to the 
last degree, from numberless and most peremptory 
accusations against the English Bible, as false ; — yet 
is it all they have ! And when their soul's health de- 
pends on giving the fullest credence to it— when, of 
themselves, they too slowly, alas ! receive the things 
recorded in the Oracles of God — to have it asserted, 
with the most solemn airs of assurance, that the 
Translators are not to be trusted — what is this, but 
to fill them with endless doubts, and lead them to 



DANGER OF HYPERCRITICAL RESEARCH. 541 

despise their English Bible, and think the Christian 
Religion itself an uncertainty ? — How often have you 
observed to me, what strange interpretations the Rector 
of a church in London would give of the Hebrew, 
and how unsupported ! yet, to make way for even 
such interpretations as these, forty-seven men, who 
could " render a reason," are publicly branded as 
fools, compared with himself. Oh ! it will neither 
please God, nor be of any use to men ! 

Thus, to use a proud word for such a man as I am, 
you have my ultimatum about this matter. I wish 
you to be jealous over yourself, and, as in the pre- 
sence of God, ask yourself what real good you have 
received to your immortal soul from so much study, 
and such violent pursuit of Hebrew learning ? How 
different was your judgment, when we were first 
acquainted! — how becoming your profession, when 
you brought with you into Yorkshire, and dropped 
them by the way, "A Word to a Drunkard," "to 
a Sabbath-breaker," &c. ! — when your whole soul was 
so engaged with the work you undertook — when 
dear Mr. Grimshaw, Mr. Hervey, and others, whose 
whole talk was of the power and glory and mightiness 
of God's Kingdom, were so pleasing and profitable, 
as you then confessed! Their discourse was all to 
the purpose : it was the substance we were then all 
concerned about. Oh, may we be more and more so, 
the nearer the hour of our departure approaches ! — 
I have been lately ill ; and found, as Dr. Watts says 
of himself, I had no comfort then, but from the plain 
Promises — just as every common man, who can hear 
the Bible, has for his support. 

From your affectionate friend, 

H. Venn. 



542 



BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT SAINTS : 



TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. 

(CAUTIONS AGAINST THE DISCOURAGEMENT WHICH SOMETIMES 
ARISES FROM READING THE LIVES OF EMINENTLY HOLY PERSONS.) 

MADAM, Yelling, March 3, 1787. 

Taking* it for granted that your Ladyship, and the 
Christian Ladies, my very kind friends, who so often 
meet with you, would read the Life of that very extra- 
ordinary servant of God, Mr. Fletcher — I had no 
sooner finished it, than I was under some concern lest 
it should hinder your spiritual progress, though it was 
written to animate and press us forward in our 
heavenly race. I have frequently known the Lives of 
most eminent saints to have had rather a bad effect, 
than otherwise. I intended, therefore, immediately 
to send you my thoughts upon this subject; but was 
prevented till now, by the correction of my Heavenly 
Father. 

The first thing obvious in the account of very 
eminent saints, as generally given by their friends, 
is the exhibition only of their excellencies; — not a 
fault is allowed to mingle with the description of 
their character; — you are led to judge, they go on 
conquering, like the Saviour, in the greatness of His 
strength. But this is very far from being the case. 
We must remember to make a large allowance for 
partiality, and the fervent love of their persons, so 
strongly felt by those who have received inestimable 
benefit from their bright example and shining attain- 
ments. We must remember, also, we have infallible 
authority to pronounce them polluted, offenders in 
many things, and defective also above all that we can 
conceive, "when judgment is laid to the line, and 
righteousness to the plummet." 



THE BEST, VERY IMPERFECT. 543 

I prove this by a most decisive instance. St. Paul 
appears more like an angel than a man — a very flame 
of love to Christ and the souls of men — in labours 
more abundant than any of the Apostles — in affection 
to the saints so tender, that he compares his concern 
for them to that which a mother feels for her own 
child at the breast. He appeals unto God, as well 
as to the Church, how holily, how justly, how un- 
blameably he had walked. And had he chosen to 
put himself off for better than he was, how easily 
might he have deceived the Churches, and led them 
to think he had no plague in his own heart to lament 
and bewail — no conflict with manifold corruptions- 
nothing, at least, similar to what you and I, my 
honoured friends, so often, to our shame and grief, 
feel moving within ! But this man of God (the first, 
many suppose, of the fallen race) will not suffer such 
a deception, respecting his own character, to be 
entertained. Behold ! he opens a window into his 
own heart. He owns to all the Churches, that, not- 
withstanding he had once been a murderer of the 
members of Christ — notwithstanding the grace he had 
received — his constant preaching of humility — and 
his having been admitted into the third heaven — 
he owns he needed (lest he should perish by exalting 
himself above measure) — he owns he needed (what 
in mercy was given him) a thorn in the flesh, a mes- 
senger of Satan, to buffet him. What strength of 
depravity is here ! — what evil, mixed with the most 
shining excellencies! — what cause for Paul to say, 
" Oh, wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death?" Here the Apostle, 
the first of men, is sick with our malady. We stand 
together on a level, as fallen lost sinners ; equally in 



544 DISPARITY IN THE GIFTS OF GRACE. 

need of the redemption of Christ, and the robe of His 
righteousness. 

We are continually taught in Scripture, that there 
is none without deplorable spots and defects before 
God — no, not one ! While, therefore, we glorify Him 
in His saints, for their excellent life and conversation, 
we must not forget, that, however they appear, they 
are not yet without sin, or less need the Advocate, 
and the propitiation, than other men. 

Again: in reading the life of an extraordinary 
Christian, when his spirit and manner of life are 
highly to be admired, we are often tempted to de- 
spond. We compare ourselves with his shining at- 
tainments ; and feeling at so great a distance, we 
grow dissatisfied, and can scarcely think that what 
God has done for us deserves any consideration; 
or believe that we are in a state of grace and salva- 
tion. Our pride (though we do not perceive it) is 
hurt, and self-love is mortified, to see we are so far 
outdone. The good hope we were willing to enter- 
tain of our faith in Christ, and union with Him, is 
ready to fail, because we are no better. The spiritual 
riches, in which the saint seems so to abound, makes 
our own poverty apparent and undeniable. Con- 
sequently, we feel much uneasiness and vexation; 
and are apt to conclude we are unfit to die, and 
ought not even to be called Christians, till we are 
exactly, or nearly, such as the blessed saint, whose 
history is before us. 

Herein we greatly err : we seem not to know that 
a very great disparity prevails through all the works 
of God. In heaven there are many different degrees 
of excellency; and, no doubt, a vast distance between 
the powers and excellencies of the highest and the 



HUMILITY OF MR. FLETCHER. 



545 



lowest angels. In our own bodies, how does the 
head and the eye, and the tongue, surpass in ex- 
cellency many other parts ! In the Church, it is the 
same : according to the ability which God gives, and 
according to the measure of grace given unto us, we 
are what we are. Some bring forth a hundredfold — 
more than three times as much as others ever will do ; 
according as the same Spirit divideth " to every man 
severally as he will." And though the three last 
lines of Mr. Fletcher's Life affirm that every one may 
be exactly like him if he will, I beg leave, on the 
contrary, to say, that a fowl in a barn-yard, which 
mounts with great difficulty so high in the air as the 
top of the barn, or into a lofty tree, might as reason- 
ably be expected to accompany an eagle in its flight, 
as myself and the bulk of Christians can be just what 
dear and blessed Mr. Fletcher was, in his spirit and 
manner of life. No ; a natural cast, a great capacity, 
a vivid impression from every object, a very quick 
sensibility of affections, and a very uncommon mea- 
sure of grace, must all concur, and be all diligently 
improved, before a vessel of honour, of such magnitude 
and brightness as he was, can come forth from the 
Great Maker's hand. 

Yet why should this disquiet our souls? We are 
not accepted or beloved for our own excellencies, but 
for Christ's sake, from the goodness of God; and two, 
no less than ten, talents may be used, and will be 
most amply and gloriously rewarded. We ought 
to be comforted and animated from the consideration, 
that whatever the most eminent saints possess, it is 
received from the same inexhaustible Fountain, of 
which all the Children of God partake ; and that 
there is in reality, though in miniature, every feature 

N N 



546 



mr. Fletcher's humility : 



in the least and lowest Child of God, which is so pro- 
minent and beautiful in the fairest of the saints. 

To exemplify this, I will go through several of the 
graces with which dear Mr. Fletcher was clothed. 

His humility was so 'unfeigned, and so deep, that 
when I thanked him for two sermons he had one day 
preached to my people at Huddersfield, he answered, 
as no man ever did to me, in a way the most affecting 
I can conceive: with eyes and hands uplifted, he 
exclaimed, "Pardon, pardon, pardon, O my God!" 
It went to my very soul: I shall never forget it. 
Great grace was then upon this blessed servant of 
Christ : — yet a measure of the same is in our souls, 
though it be but a very little. We unfeignedly beg 
for mercy. We put not our trust in any thing we do. 
We utterly abjure our own righteousness ; and the 
same spirit that wrought, in Mr. Fletcher, that cry, 
so vehement for pardon, by His mighty power, keeps 
up in us an abiding sense of our sad defects ; and our 
supplication, with godly sincerity, is, " Enter not into 
judgment with thy servant, O Lord ! 33 

Love to man> and bowels of mercies, displayed in 
Mr. Fletcher a noble imitation of his Incarnate God. 
He indeed thought the day lost, and could find no 
rest in his soul, unless he was doino- o-ood to the 
bodies and the souls of men. The whole family of 
Christ are of the same gracious temper, in some 
degree — they are merciful, loving, and righteous. 
Their prayers, their constant wishes, their endea- 
vours — their watching for opportunity, by letters, by 
books, by discourse, to instruct the ignorant, and 
to remove prejudices against the Gospel of Christ — 
their conscientious retrenchment of foolish expenses 
— their good-will to promote every good design — 



KIS LOVE TO GOD AND MAN. 



547 



proves that God hath given them the spirit of love, 
and to be kindly affectioned towards their fellow- 
sinners. 

Love to the Lord — how did it govern, and flourish 
in, dear Mr. Fletcher! His admirable consort tells 
us, he scarcely was awake, in the night, a moment, 
without lifting up his soul to God in holy aspiration. 
And all who are taught of God, and born from above, 
have their heart where their treasure is. Their souls 
truly "wait still upon God, from whom cometh their 
salvation." They have spiritual wants, urgent and 
many, to be supplied; — more grace they covet; — 
mercies vouchsafed, and growing discoveries of His 
adorable excellencies, excite their praise. Stated 
times for prayer, therefore, and religious exercises, 
never satisfy any whose souls are alive to God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. They see Him in 
His works of creation — in His Providence — in His 
Gospel. He hath so won their hearts, that they can 
be happy in Himself alone, and look upon every 
thing besides as emptiness and mere vanity. 

I have seen Mr. Fletcher, for six weeks together, 
under a hectic fever, sometimes spitting blood — 
when, night after night, he could rest very little — 
well pleased to suffer — never complain, never but be 
cheerful. Once, when I asked him how he did, 
" Oh I " said he, " how light is the chastisement I 
suffer ! how heavy the strokes I deserve ! I love the 
rod of my Heavenly Father ! " Now, all the Children 
of Christ feel so too ; or, if they do not, it is their 
additional burden and grief, lamented and confessed 
with tears ; nor can they forgive themselves, till they feel 
they are reconciled to the will of God, and can take plea- 
sure in suffering what it pleases Him to lay upon them. 
nn2 



548 



MINISTERIAL FAITHFULNESS. 



Once more, which particularly applies to myself. — 
Dear Mr. Fletcher had such a sense of the weight of 
his office, that, like his Saviour, he could continue in 
prayer, in the wood, all night long ; and, like Him, 
lie prostrate on the ground, pleading for grace to 
fulfil His ministry. Oh, how admirable ! how rare 
such a spirit in such a degree ! Yet every pastor and 
Teacher, who hath the grace of Christ dwelling in 
his heart, feels a constant desire to be found faithful, 
and is a daily supplicant for the salvation of his 
hearers. Every true pastor appeals to his Lord: 
" Thou knowest all things — Thou knowest that I 
love Thee, and desire to live only to gather in more 
outcasts, to feed Thy lambs and thy sheep, and bring 
glory to Thy name/ 5 This resemblance, real, though 
faint — this sameness of disposition and temper, found 
in the least and weakest of the flock — proves that 
they are in Christ, and Christ in them, no less than 
believers who very far excel them in their fruits of 
righteousness and true holiness. 

Still further : we are in much danger of being hurt 
and hindered in our spiritual progress, by reading 
the life of an eminent saint, when we think we must 
do the same things we find set down, and use exactly 
the same methods as he used. — And, most of all, we 
are hurt when our hearts are turned off from Christ 
Crucified and interceding with the Father for poor 
sinners, to the spiritual graces dwelling in us. For 
these will ever be imperfect, ebbing, and flowing ; 
and the more light and tenderness of conscience we 
receive, the more we are sure to find we cannot rest 
our hope upon, or enjoy comfort from, our internal 
grace. The fulness there is in Christ — the^ work He 
has finished — the work He is now every moment 



UTILITY OF CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY. 549 

performing — the love of His heart, intense and ever 
active — and His faithful promises, understood, blessed, 
and embraced — must be the way of our comfort and 
sanctification, turning our eyes only to these things. 

But, my dear friends, using proper caution, and 
guarding against the mistakes I have now pointed 
out, we may read, with great encouragement and 
profit, how the chief of saints have fought our 
common enemy, prevailed over the corruptions of 
nature, adorned their holy profession, and left their 
name and memory to be a blessing to the Church. 
How delightful to see in them the Scripture Promises 
fulfilled : " The righteous are preserved for ever 
— " The path of the just shineth more and more, 
unto the perfect day " — " They who wait upon 
the Lord shall mount up, as on eagles' wings ; they 
shall run, and not be weary ; they shall walk, and 
not faint " ! Viewing these fair examples, we may 
joyfully exclaim: "As we have heard, so have we 
seen in the city of our God (which is His Church), 
God upholdeth the same for ever ! " Are we ready 
to loiter, or be idle, from the unprofitable conversation 
and life of professors in general? How useful, to 
mark the fervent love, the persevering zeal, with 
which they ran the way of God's commandments, 
who were men of like passions with ourselves ! The 
success of their faith in Christ — of their prayer, 
vigilance, and self-denial — do, in a forcible and 
pleasing manner, recommend the same graces to us. 
The consolations they enjoyed by the way, through 
a single eye to the glory of God, and their hope and 
triumph in death, demonstrate to us the wisdom of 
their sober singularity; and call loudly upon us, 
" See how blessed, in life and death, are they who 
diligently seek the Lord ! " 



550 THREE RULES FOR A HOLY LIFE. 

My much-honoured friends and Sisters in Christ! 
I will conclude my address to you on occasion of 
dear Mr. Fletcher's Life, with an observation, con- 
firmed by the experience of the Church of God, and 
built upon His own promises : it is this : — Whoso- 
ever desires to persevere and increase in the fear of 
the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, to 
live and die in hope that maketh not ashamed, must 
be diligent in secret prayer; must constantly read 
God's Word, begging Him to explain it, and give 
faith in it; and must walk with those who walk 
conscientiously before God — who are always aspiring 
to what they have not attained — in whose manners, 
spirit, and discourse, there is what reaches the heart, 
and tends to humble, quicken, and comfort the soul. 
In all my reading and acquaintance, for forty years, 
with religious people, I never saw an instance of one de- 
caying and coming to nothing, who observed these rules 
— never saw one who presumed, on any consideration, 
to give over attention to them, who did not fall away. 

Let us then, notwithstanding all obstructions, use 
these means. Whatever our frames or our com- 
plaints, our sins or fears, may be, diligence in secret 
prayer, and cries for knowledge of God's Word while 
we read it, and society with His children, will, in due 
time, heal all — sanctify all, till we are taken out of 
this evil world, and join the armies of the saved, who 
are gone before us, who wait for our coming ; to 
testify, as we shall each of us do for ever, that God, 
our Covenant God, was faithful, and would not suffer 
us to be tempted above what we were enabled to bear, 
to the glory of His name, and the honour of our holy 
profession. Amen ! 

H. Venn. 



MISTAKES OF YOUNG MINISTERS. 551 

The following Paper was drawn up by Mr. Venn, for the 
use of his son, about the year 1792. It was entitled — 

THE MISTAKES INTO WHICH YOUNG MINISTERS ARE APT 
TO FALL. 

I have too much reason to think the success of 
my ministry was much impeded from the following" 
causes : — 

L Several bad consequences, I judge, might have 
been prevented entirely, or in a great measure, 
among* my people, had I taken care frequently to 
let them know how greatly I stood in need of their 
prayers, that the Spirit of God might be given to 
teach me so to preach as to do them good, and to 
make me feel more love for their souls ; — if I had 
also often pressed them to consider how great a charge 
was laid upon me, and what a solemn account I was 
to give of the doctrine I delivered to them, and of 
the awful relation there was between them and myself. 
These things I did often allude to, and even briefly 
mention. It would have been better had I dwelt 
often upon these subjects; because the flock listen, 
with peculiar attention, when their pastor proves the 
care and affection which he owes them ; and when he 
solicits their prayers, that nothing may be wanting, 
on his part, which may promote their present and 
eternal welfare. At the same time, a full explanation 
of the duty of a pastor towards his flock is the means 
of raising their esteem for him, and a more earnest 
attention to his word. 

2. I should have set before my people the com- 
mand, addressed to all believers, " to esteem very 
highly in love" those who labour among them in the 



552 



MISTAKES INTO WHICH 



word and doctrine, " for their work's sake ; " and 
have shewn them what they owe to them, as the in- 
struments, in the hands of God, by which their souls 
are saved ; — and proved from hence, that they would 
go directly contrary to their duty, if they should 
slight their ministry ; much more, should they for- 
sake it. 

I did not choose to treat on these subjects, from 
an apprehension that I should be thought to aim at 
pre-eminence, and at bringing" them into subjection 
to myself. But there would have been no difficulty 
in proving the good which would follow from a just 
esteem for the minister of Christ — the wise ends for 
which he had required it: and a behaviour void 
of all arrogance and self-exaltation would have shewn 
plainly to them, that I aimed at nothing but their 
profit and salvation. 

3. After my hearers began to taste the good Word 
of God, and the powers of the world to come, I 
neglected to point out to them the several ways in 
which spiritual pride and self-conceit will begin to 
work — how ready they will be to conclude they have 
much grace, when it is not certain they have any ; 
how highly they will think of their own gifts, if they 
can pray with fervour and fluency, and speak with 
great readiness of utterance ; how soon they are 
tempted to behave themselves unseemly, by abounding 
in their own sense of things — obstinately contending 
for their own opinion, and their own way in every 
thing, in opposition to old disciples, and their own 
teacher, who have had so much more experience ; — 
with what a hasty and uncharitable spirit they will 
censure this or that person, for any thing they happen 
to dislike in them ; — whilst they are little humbled 



YOUNG MINISTERS ARE APT TO FALL. 553 

for all the evil they have done, or the manifold 
corruptions of their own hearts. If I had particularly 
pointed out these things, they might have been stirred 
up to watch and guard against them ; and others 
would have perceived the wrong spirit working in 
them, when, as novices, puffed up by their fleshly 
mind, they were speaking to corrupt others. 

4. I was no less to blame for not pointing out, 
how men, enlightened, but not converted, are always 
the first to create disturbances about things of no 
importance, instead of confining their attention to the 
grand and fundamental doctrines of Christ, and the 
fruits they are to produce. I should have proved 
that it is sloth, and love of sin, and a dislike to take 
pains in the mortification of every corrupt temper, 
which really, though imperceptibly, lead men to 
make trifles appear great matters. Thus, the points 
in difference between us and Dissenters — whether 
a Form of Prayer in Public Worship always the same, 
or one left to the minister — whether persons are to be 
admitted to the Lord's Supper without giving in their 
experience, or not — are made subjects of debate, 
which unsettle men in their judgments, draw off their 
attention from the evil of sin, the Salvation of Christ, 
and the necessity of holiness ; make men captious in 
their spirit, so that they lose their love for each other, 
and the concern they began to feel to walk worthy 
of the Gospel of Christ. I should have marked the 
rise and progress of this bad spirit, as the effect of 
pride and the device of Satan ; and appealed to their 
own consciences, whether these things did not hinder 
their communion with God, and destroy their peace. 

5. I neglected to be large and full in describing 
the lamentable consequences of division and separa- 



554 



MISTAKES INTO WHICH 



tion, amongst a people awakened, and called to the 
knowledge of Christ, by His minister — how separa- 
tion and division lead men to conclude no one can 
certainly determine what the faith of Christ is ; and 
that they serve no better purpose than to cause 
variances and j anglings without end — than to perplex 
and stumble the weak in faith — and give the ungodly 
occasion to boast, that passions and prejudices are 
nowhere less subdued than among the most religious. 
By these means, the Gospel is judged to be of little 
use to mankind ; though so much extolled by those 
who preach, and those who profess to receive it, as the 
Gospel of peace, which transforms men into the image 
of the God of peace and love. 

6. I was guilty also of a great neglect, in not 
instructing my people more frequently and fully 
concerning the danger of preferring and exalting the 
ordinance of preaching, to the spiritual worship of 
God in the congregation, which is the great end the 
Gospel, when received, should produce — how men 
deceive themselves, and grieve the Spirit of God, 
who are eager to hear, and expect a blessing from 
hearing, when they have been idle and lukewarm in 
confessing their sinfulness, or in their petitions for 
grace and knowledge; and without importunity, and 
bowels of mercy, in making intercession ; and void of 
all gratitude to God, when praise is offered up to 
Him for all His mercies — that the exercise of these 
affections, habitually and comfortably, is much beyond 
hearing the best sermons, and a full proof we are 
born of God. Yet how evident is the want of this 
spiritual worship, in those who call themselves believers 
in Christ ! What a manifest drowsiness and stupidity, 
and hardness of heart, prevail amongst professors in 



YOUNG MINISTERS ARE APT TO FALL. 555 

general ! Hence, God being so little honoured in the 
worship offered to His Divine Majesty, His spirit is 
withdrawn ; the word preached is not made effectual ; 
but generally is a dry, insipid thing to the greatest part 
of the hearers, after the novelty ceases, as they them- 
selves confess. 

7. I am conscious, also, that I did not press, as 
I ought to have done, upon professors, how much 
it was their duty, as they received the knowledge of 
the things of God themselves, and had ability, to 
begin to work together with their minister. I ought 
to have told them plainly, and constantly, how little 
good, in comparison, could be done by one man, as 
a teacher of the Truth ; or by his conversation, or 
visiting the poor, the ignorant, or the afflicted ; — 
that this ought to be regarded, as it was in the 
Churches planted by the Apostles, as the common 
and indispensable duty of every man professing god- 
liness ;— that they be diligent among their neigh- 
bours in the works and labours of love ; — that the 
minister is to be considered as the officer, indeed, 
who gives the word of command, and takes the 
lead in all good works ; but that all the people of 
God, like soldiers under him, must fight against the 
common enemy — must take pains in diffusing light 
and knowledge, and shewing all compassion towards 
those that are ignorant and out of the way, and in 
endeavouring to bring them to the knowledge of the 
Truth. I should have shewn them, that, on many 
accounts, private Christians are fitted to exhort, and 
instruct and reprove, those of their own age and 
condition ; — as this is an affecting proof of love for 
them — is more likely to stir them up to seek for 
knowledge, when they see others besides the preacher 



556 MISTAKES OF YOUNG MINISTERS. ^ *f 

are acquainted with Divine things, even men who 
have had no better education than themselves; — 
whereas the greater part excuse their ignorance, sup- 
posing the poor, and all who work for their bread, 
have no time to gain knowledge. The very few who 
have love and zeal thus to come forth, to help in pro- 
moting the salvation of souls, find that God blesses 
them for their good-will to their fellow-creatures, and 
with such sacrifices He is well pleased. 

8. I shall mention only one mistake more ; which 
was, in my way of talking to persons always full of 
doubts and fears and uneasiness, and never comforted. 
I too readily concluded this arose from a right and 
deep sense of their corruptions, and of their great 
defects in obedience, and from not putting their whole 
trust in Christ. But generally, as Mr. Baxter ob- 
serves, such persons are indolent, and not fully per- 
suaded even of the certainty of an eternal Heaven 
and Hell — that their souls are at stake, and they 
must be up and doing. I ought faithfully to have 
put the question to them, whether the love of money 
did not rule in their hearts, and was their confidence ; 
whether they were not shutting up their bowels of 
compassion towards their distressed and suffering 
fellow-Christians ; and whether this was not the cause 
of their walking on in darkness. This, I am per- 
suaded, is generally the case ; because the promise 
of light, and greajt consolation, and joy in God and 
prosperity of soul, is made to those who are of a 
loving and bountiful spirit. — See Isai. lviii. 6 — 1 1. 

THE END. 



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1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724) 779-2111 



